The Boy and The Squirrel
by Shine Q
Summary: Trowa is a squirrel who wishes to become human in order to be with the one he loves. What trials will he face when he changes to his new human form?
1. One

**The Boy and The Squirrel [Part One]**

There once was a boy with golden blonde hair that lived in a house close to the forest. Everyday, he would come down from his room and play with all the furry animals he could find living in his spacious backyard.

One day, he discovered an injured squirrel stumbling aimlessly around the trees. He picked it up and brought it back to his tree house not far away. He cleaned and repaired the injury and put the squirrel back on its feet. It was only then that he noticed that there was something peculiar about that particular squirrel. Its tail was fluffy just like all the other squirrels, but on its head was a fall of thick hair covering half of its face.

"Hmm..." the boy thought. "Maybe it's that hair of yours that's blocking your vision." Thinking that it was the best thing to do, the boy reached in his first aid kit for a pair of scissors, intent on cutting off the unneeded distraction.

Seeing the suspicious looking instrument on the hands of the boy, the squirrel quickly jumped back and did an amazing kick with his two hind legs, flinging the scissors out the window.

"That's odd." the boy said, looking at the squirrel that looked very relieved. "I've never seen squirrels do *that* before."

Although still a little suspicious, he decided on ignoring the bizarre display. He picked up the squirrel and carried him down the ladder. Upon reaching the ground, he gently laid the squirrel on the soft grass and watched it.

Finding an opportunity for freedom, the squirrel quickly ran towards its haven. Unfortunately, the misguided squirrel ended up face first on the tree, injuring his little head yet again.

The boy, very concerned about his new patient, quickly ran to the squirrel and picked it up. He looked at the injury and decided to bring the small creature back home.

The following day, the boy got a visit from some friends of his. The boy, however, was still asleep, unaware of his visitors. The three were very excited and decided to surprise their friend. Just as they were making their way to the door, one of the boys decided to go down and check on the breakfast being prepared.

The two, not wanting to wait any longer, opened the door and found something very odd on their friend's bed.

"Quatre! There's a rodent in your bed." The boy with black hair practically screamed to the top of his lungs.

The blonde boy named Quatre woke up abruptly and frantically searched for the so-called rodent that had invaded his bed. Realizing that he didn't know exactly what a rodent was, he stopped his frenzied search and looked quizzically at his friend.

"There! There it is!" the boy answered, pointing to the squirrel that immediately hid behind Quatre.

"Wufei, it's just a squirrel. What's a rodent anyway?"

"Well, ..." the other started explaining "...rodents are..." but stopped, realizing that *the* rodent was behind his friend. "All I know is that *that*..." he said, pointing to the squirrel "...is a rodent. I've read that it can make you sick. It has a lot of germs."

"Wufei," Quatre said. "You read too much."

By this time, the other friend with thick brown hair beside Wufei noticed the 'rodent' behind Quatre's back. His eyes aimed for the small creature and caught a glimpse of the squirrel suspiciously sticking out his little tongue at Wufei.

"Are you sure that rodent is normal?" he interrupted, not taking his eyes off the creature.

"It's not a rodent! It's a squirrel! ...And I think that it's normal and I like it the way it is." defended Quatre.

Heero's eyebrows went straight up when he saw the little squirrel hug Quatre's back with its little paws although the blonde boy was oblivious of it.

"Umm, Quatre, ..." He was just about to voice out his suspicions when another person entered the room. It was another one of Quatre's friends. His braid vigorously moved around his back as he jumped in the bed.

"Nice to see you again buddy. The mean old chef kicked me out of the kitchen. Can you fire him? He told me to bother somebody else, so here I am. Wanna play downstairs? ..."

The newcomer went on and on, but quickly stopped as he saw the furry animal behind his friend. The creature had its paws over its small ears, seemingly annoyed with the noise.

"Hey, you're a funny one!" the braided boy said as he picked up the animal to inspect it.

"Duo, be careful!" Quatre told him, making sure that his friend did not crush the squirrel.

"This squirrel is weird." he said "What's with the hair? Ewww! Is he mutated or something?"

Offended by the remark, the eyes of the squirrel went large. The now huge eyes started to shake with tears threatening to fall.

"Awww!" The four said in unison. Without another word, they picked up their new found friend and brought him out to play.

Over the years, the squirrel became part of the boys' games. It would often indulge the humans by doing its acrobatic stunts in the branches of the trees. It was always pleased at the applause, but what he enjoyed the most was the attention given to him by the blonde boy.

Time moved on and soon, it was time for Quatre to leave home and attend his new school. It would be months before he would return and so he decided to say goodbye to his long time friend. Both boy and squirrel parted sorrowfully, treasuring the years of friendship they shared.

Several months later, Quatre returned home only to find his furry friend missing. He was disappointed because of his loss, but eventually, the boy got over it and continued on with his life.

The squirrel, on the other hand, had gone on an important mission, unknown to the boy, that would bring them together again under more normal circumstances.

The squirrel had spent days climbing the top of a high mountain, seemingly searching for an unknown presence. Upon reaching the top, he breathed in deeply and called out someone or something in his tiny squirrel voice.

"Mother Nature, can you hear me?" He yelled as hard as he could.

"Yes little squirrel." A loving voice answered. "Which one are you?"

"I'm the squirrel named Trowa."

"Ah, yes," the voice said "... the one with the weird hair."

"Eh?" the squirrel asked, thoroughly confused. "Umm, anyway, I wanted to ask you if you could make me human?"

"And why would you want that?" The voice quickly asked.

"Umm, because I want less fur?" the squirrel said.

The loving voice then laughed hysterically, causing a few raindrops to fall on the ground.

"Unbelievable Trowa! I think that you, of all squirrels, would come up with a better reason. Now, what's the *real* reason you want to become human?"

The squirrel, reluctant to answer, blushed furiously despite the thick coat of brown covering its body.

"I...umm... think I'm in love with a human."

Silence followed his answer. Not knowing what was to come, the squirrel fidgeted and silently hoped for a positive answer.

After what seemed like forever, Mother Nature finally answered.

"Of course I would never refuse you anything, Trowa. ...but if every squirrel in the world asked for the same thing then there would be an abundance of humans. That would be very chaotic. ... but" The voice seemed hesitant "... since you have proven yourself to be a very obedient animal many times, I will grant you your wish."

The squirrel Trowa sighed with relief.

"Before we go any further, though, I would like to warn you that there are consequences to this. You will have to face the same hardships humans have. You will have to relearn everything you already know as a squirrel. You will also have to find the one you love all over again. This time, you will be in your human form. You are not allowed to give away your secret. After all, we wouldn't want every creature on Earth coming up to this mountain shouting for requests. I think that my invisible eardrums can only take so much."

With the approval confirmed, Trowa jumped joyously up and down as he slowly turned into a human.


	2. Two

# 

# The Boy and The Squirrel

## Part Two

The new sensations that accompanied being human sparked Trowa's interest in every way. He examined himself from head to toe and marveled at his new form. 

He noticed that he was a lot taller than his once twelve inch body and he also had a lot less fur. Maybe his excuse to have less fur earlier wasn't bad after all. The wind definitely felt wonderful as it brushed against his skin.

He also noted that his paws were replaced with hands and feet. His hind legs had disappeared as well. What had replaced them were a pair of long, slender legs that looked absolutely stunning.

There was one part of him though, that had remained the same. It was his favorite feature. He had been initially reluctant to go through with the change because he thought that he would have to give it up. This feature, his trademark and crowning glory was no other than his unique hairstyle that concealed half of his face. How could he give up the long, silky, brown, pride of his existence?

"Ahem."

The sudden sound had interrupted Trowa's ongoing self-exploration.

"Trowa, you might want to put some clothes on. You know, in the 'human' world, you would be put in jail for running around like that."

The now humanoid Trowa ignored Mother Nature's suggestion and continued staring at himself in awe. He thought that he was perfect and he tried to find several hundred ways to express that fact to himself. Alas, it was getting late and he knew that he'd have to find a place to stay.

Of course, before he could even find that warm shelter for the night, he would have to walk towards wherever he desired.

"This is going to be a problem." he thought. "My movements will be unstable and awkward now that I have these long legs."

He cautiously moved one foot forward, wanting to test the feel of his new legs. To his surprise, he didn't slip nor did he even waver with each step he took. He had mastered the art of walking within seconds.

With the knowledge that his body accepted the change, he gleefully skipped around and swung on the branches.He noticed that he had such grace, such precision when he walked and attempted different movements.

"Oh for crying out loud!" Mother Nature finally broke out. "I might as well put some clothes on you."

She worked her magic and within minutes, she was able to dress the still agitated Trowa with a pair of jeans, a green turtle neck, and a nice pair of shoes. She decided that he looked a lot better without them, but it would be too dangerous and not to mention too scandalous for him to walk around like that in the 'civilized' world.

"Ok. It's time to head on out before dark."

Mother Nature pushed Trowa gently with a gush of wind and continued doing so until the skipping lad decided to venture forth on his own.

It was almost dark when Trowa reached the nearest town. His instincts told him to run for the nearest tree in hopes of finding a night's sanctuary, but his common sense drove him toward the inns that had occupied the town. He wasn't a squirrel any more and he would obviously not fit into a tree.

His attention was caught, however, by the numerous establishments that surrounded the place. He found that he couldn't concentrate on his mission. He was too enthralled by the different lights that danced before his eyes. The colors being emitted by the bright bulbs as well as the variety of people with vibrant clothes that walked by were more than enough to seize his attention.

Now that he thought about it, he had never been anywhere near a town as populated as this one. The closest thing to civilization he had ever experienced was in the presence of the boy Quatre.

Soon it was dark, and he still didn't have a place to stay. He knew that he should've felt alarmed, but he really wasn't. The place was too busy with activity that his attention was only diverted to the ongoing bustle around town.

Mother Nature had noticed that her favorite squirrel was too distracted and decided that she help him a little bit more than she had intended. She called upon the force of the skies and caused a bit of a drizzle.

"I don't think he'd get that cold." she thought. "This *has* to force him to stop standing there like a total idiot."

As expected, Trowa ran for the nearest shade, but he was still in some sort of trance.

"Ahh! He just doesn't get it!" cried Mother Nature. Her voice could not be heard of course, although the effect of the voice on the world below was different. The drizzle suddenly turned into a slight storm as the skies were filled with the sounds of roaring thunder. 

Everybody was now running for shelter. Children cried out in fear while their parents tried their best to calm down their frightened youngsters. 

Trowa, however, still didn't wake up from whatever daydream he was having. It was either he was still too amazed with the changes he was experiencing or he was just used to the way Mother Nature worked. After all, he had spent almost his entire life living in the forest.

When it almost looked like he wasn't going to react, lightning suddenly struck him. Multiple screams were heard from all directions while Trowa shivered. This was apparently caused by the left-over electricity circulating his body.

Nobody dared go near him save for a nice looking girl with curly brown hair. She had so much concern etched on her face that it looked like her own family had been struck down. She immediately ran to Trowa's side, asking him several questions the first of which was his name.

Trowa didn't say a word and his face was blank. It was obvious that he wasn't going to say anything, let alone his name.

"Well then, Nanashi it is." the young lady said, teasing him.

After making sure that he was fine, she helped him up and decided to take him home with her with the help of some good citizens. The lightning bolt that hit him didn't seem to be as strong as it looked. He was fine now, but he was sleeping.He probably felt too exhausted from the events that went on that day.

"Well, well..." Mother Nature said. "It looks like my little temper tantrum worked after all."

She quieted the skies and graduallyturned the rain into a soft drizzle once again. When she was satisfied, she looked at her favorite squirrel one last time and said "You're all on your own now, Trowa. Take care of yourself." 

Trowa woke up to a new day, noticing that he was no longer amidst all the colorful lights he was in the day before. He was now on a warm, comfortable bed inside a trailer. He thought it peculiar that he was able to find himself shelter for the night. The last thing he truly remembered was being engulfed in the presence of radiant light that caused some sort of a tingle in his body.

"Oh, well." he thought to himself. "At least I'm no longer out in the cold rain. Now I'm off for my second mission, which is..." 

"Are you feeling better?" 

He was startled to find before him a familiar young lady. He remembered seeing her from the night before. His eyes widened with surprise but his face did not confirm it.

"Oh, how rude of me." she said. "My name is Catherine and I work in the circus. You're in my trailer right now. Would you like some warm soup for breakfast?"

He nodded indicating that he, indeed, wanted some. 

"Soup" he remembered. The boy Quatre once fed him soup. It felt really nice in his stomach. He just hoped that it felt the same way in his new body.

He walked up to the table that was set and sat on one of the chairs. He looked at the spoon on the table and decided that he better learn how to use it before he makes a total fool of himself. 

He tried to remember how Quatre had done it. Yes, fill the spoon with the warm liquid and slowly sip it. Remember, don't make any slurping sounds like the boy Duo did. If not, some other boy with short, brown hair will hit you upside your head.

"Umm, here's your soup." 

Catherine handed Trowa the bowl while examining the peculiar young boy in front of her. Why was he practicing how to use his spoon? She decided that it would be best to ignore his oddities and start a friendly conversation.

"So, what's your name?" she asked.

Her question was met with silence. 

Trowa said nothing but in truth, he was trying to work his vocal chords into saying "Trowa" That was his name after all and it would be a shame if he didn't know how to say it. 

He tried so hard to say it, but no matter how hard he tried, the words just wouldn't come out. He tried to offer an apologetic look to Catherine but failed miserably.

"I guess it'll be Nanashi for now. I was just teasing you yesterday, but I guess it'll have to do."she said, knowing that she was not going to receive a response. She tried not to look hurt because the young man was unwilling to give out his name. Maybe he was just too shy.

"Oh great!" Trowa thought dejectedly to himself. "Not only did you upset the very first person who helped you out, but you've also managed to turn your name into something absolutely repulsive. What kind of a name is No Name? Ahh! I can't even work out my face. Great! I can't talk and I can't express myself, but I can walk and run. That can't be good." 

All of a sudden, his thoughts were flooded with the remembrance of Mother Nature's warning. "You will have to face the same hardships humans have. You will have to relearn everything you already know as a squirrel."

"That is just great!" he thought again to himself while Catherine was staring expectantly at him. "Relearn everything. I thought that all I had to do was move. *This* is going to be a problem."

He then looked back at Catherine while trying to contort his face in different directions, hoping that it would express a variety of emotions. Catherine, in turn, just stared back wearily at the blank face before her.


	3. Three

# 

# The Boy and The Squirrel

## Part Three

The weeks passed by quickly and soon, Trowa was learning more and more about the human ways. He had successfully secured a job at the circus, having the flexible, graceful body that most people were envious of.He had no trouble at all in convincing the head of the circus to take him in.

As time went on, his movements became more precise and absolutely magnificent. Most of the people that attended his performances would watch and gawk as the young man balanced himself and swung himself in different directions, landing gracefully on his intended spot. Indeed, he was a sight to behold.

In addition to his already perfected and elaborate movements was his ability to work with animals. Being an animal once himself, he was able to communicate with even the fiercest of lions. They would trust him completely, sensing that he truly understood their language.

These wonderful acquisitions, of course, were part of his added blessings. He was once a squirrel and therefore brought some of these unusual abilities with him. He would often think to himself that he was lucky enough to have had experience in these areas to actually function as well as he did.

But alas, he still had a few dilemmas to deal with. Even after attempting numerous facial exercises, he still had not been able to break through the first steps of expressing himself. His face would remain blank even if he were angry, scared, delighted or surprised. This stoic and unusually cold face would often drive people away until he was left alone, unable to cope with the loneliness that surrounded him. It wasn't his fault after all. He was trying all that he could.

To add to the damage was his inability to communicate very well. Some people would say that a person could communicate wordlessly with his or her face, but that was already a difficulty for Trowa. Now, he had to deal with his unusual speaking patterns, or more clearly, the lack of one. It had been six months since his transformation and he had yet to say his own name.

Sure, those little six word sentences, three word phrases, or one word answers worked every now and then, but it still proved to be utterly hopeless. It had already been hopeless from the beginning when he couldn't even say his own name. For now, he was condemned to carry the name 'Nanashi', simple in its own way, but certainly lacking in character.

Another barrier to his intended mission, which was of course to meet the blonde boy once again, was his failure to secure enough information about him. This new failure had stemmed from his inability to speak and express himself. How would one ask something if one couldn't form the question?

Fortunately, he had been gaining some ground no matter how little it was. Although he did speak less than the others and nobody understood how he felt, closer associates would recognize the expression in his eyes. True, he was not able to contort his face in ways he desired, but he was definitely able to communicate clearly with those intense green orbs.

He thought it amusing that his eyes would express how he felt more than any other part of his body. After all, this was one of those qualities that he never had as a squirrel. Maybe these lovely, deep green eyes were a gift from Mother Nature.

To Trowa, all these trials were all in the days work and even as he struggled against simple yet demanding obstacles, he continued to dream about that blonde haired boy that used to brighten his days.

On a night of one of his performances, however, he was able to spot something or rather, someone in the crowd that seemed to resurrect his dying efforts. 

Off to the far corner, to his surprise, was 'his' blonde boy seated with a couple of friends. He was still as beautiful as ever although he had grown considerably since the last time he remembered and so did his friends. They were watching, awe struck, as Trowa moved across the tight rope with ease. 

Willing the crowd to love him, Trowa included different tactics such as using bikes and poles, carrying his partner Catherine around and leaving the crowd breathless as they jumped around the ropes secured high above. 

During a good deal of the performance, Trowa had diverted his attention to the familiar face to the far corner. Although his movements were precise and he moved as he had been trained, his eyes had been focused elsewhere. It was simply miraculous that he had not lost his footing while his attention was directed at the blonde boy.

After the end of his performance, Trowa walked out of the tent to enjoy the night air, holding a towel in one hand to dry off his sweat. He still had to muster enough courage to face the person he had been staring at since the beginning of his performance. He walked quietly into the dark and didn't even notice when someone had put a hand on his shoulder.

"Excuse me." the owner of the hand said. "I watched your performance tonight and I just wanted to tell you that you were great. I enjoy watching acrobatics and I just loved the way you moved. It reminds me of a good friend I had once. I'm glad that I decided to see to the circus this time around." The voice was very enthusiastic.

Trowa's eyes immediately widened as he turned around to face the speaker. Finally, it was 'his' blonde boy, telling him that he was loved. Trowa was struck speechless. Usually, he'd have a ton of things to say and just couldn't say it, but this time he did not know what to say both in speech and in mind.

"Ok," he thought to himself. "Now's your chance. Say hello and smile."

He nudged his muscles until he felt the strain, but his face remained still.

"No." he wailed to himself. "This can't be happening. He's going to think that I don't approve of his presence then he's just going to leave me here alone like I always am. Why does this have to happen to me? Why now of all times?"

While Trowa was filling his head with words of self loathing, the boy Quatre was staring expectantly at him. He had a smile plastered on his face that didn't seem to fade. He was aware that he was somehow being ignored, but he continued to hold his gaze. He was quite peeved, but continued to hold his ground.

He was undoubtedly very persistent, just like the time when he had taken care of his squirrel. It was one feisty and naughty animal that he had to hold down the fuzzy being to effectively care for its wounds. Now was no different for him. He wanted to meet this mysterious boy and he wasn't going to give up too easily.

He continued to stare and then, like a spark of hope, noticed that his companion was, indeed responding. Sure, he wasn't saying a word, nor did he even begin to indicate that he wanted the other boy around him. In spite of this, there was something unusually vibrant and radiant in the performer's eyes. Quatre read into the meaning behind those eyes and giggled.

"What?" Trowa was able to blurt out although he didn't know exactly how. How was it that his mouth moved without consulting his brain first?

"You're trying to say something." the blonde boy said.

Trowa didn't have anything to say to that. He was just shocked beyond belief that someone actually understood his quiet reverie.

"My name is Quatre Raberba Winner. What's yours?"

Something suddenly clicked in Trowa and he realized that now was his chance to win the affection of this boy standing right in front of him. He opened his mouth and played around delicately with his facial muscles, beginning to voice out the name Trowa when suddenly, a female voice interrupted him.

"Nanashi." it said.

"No, no, no!" Trowa's head voiced out over and over again. This was his chance and Catherine suddenly appeared out of nowhere, disrupting his praiseworthy attempt. What angered him more was that she gave Quatre his temporary and very impersonal name. It was very rude and not to mention, embarrassing. He stared at the girl as if willing her to disappear, but she didn't seem to notice anything.

"That's not a name." Quatre said incredulously.

"Well, it is for now. He's never told anyone what his real name is. I'm beginning to doubt that he even has one."

If Trowa weren't trying to maintain his grace, he would have hit himself on the head repeatedly. It looked like things weren't working out for him when he thought that all was going to be well. 

"Oh well." Trowa thought. "At least he's here. I guess it's time to work out my charm even if I still need some time to work on those facial muscles and vocal chords. This should be very interesting."

It was only then that he noticed that 'his' blonde boy was talking to Catherine and not to him. Jealousy seeped in his muddled brain as he tried to use some of his 'brain power' to make her disappear. He soon found out that the 'mind control' option wouldn't work so he tried a different tactic.

He used his finger to call the attention of the blonde by nudging his back. He had the other boy face him. He then took a deep breath, preparing to start a conversation. His mind was completely focused on the task and this time, he was definitely going to say something.

"I..."

"Quatre! Where have you been? We've been looking for you all over the place!"

Quatre turned to the owner of the voice while Trowa began to curse himself.

The sounds of thunder were beginning to fill the sky, threatening to start another storm. It was only Trowa, however that noted the origin of the said disturbance. He looked up in the sky with unrestrained annoyance as Mother Nature laughed heartily at such a pathetic, but nevertheless amusing display.


	4. Four

# 

# The Boy and The Squirrel

## Part Four

Trowa was running for his life, his short legs unable to deliver him from his inevitable fate. The snake was just too fast and slippery for his liking. No matter how fast he propelled himself, the vicious reptile gained much needed ground by slithering on the rocky ground with ease.

"This is the end." Trowa thought to himself, his lungs feeling the exertion from running. "Mr. Anaconda over there looks like he'll be enjoying squirrel meat for dinner. Ah, and all this sweat is making me salty. I think he's trying to spice me up before devouring me."

Just as he thought that, he felt sharp fangs puncture through half of his body and thick liquid engulf his lower side.

"He's going to swallow me!" was his obvious and frantic yell. "Ahh..."

Catherine rubbed her sleepy eyes as she approached Trowa's bedside, intent on thwacking his head with a pan for disrupting her much needed sleep.

"Nanashi." she called. "Nanashi, wake up! Who on earth is going to swallow you? ...And why do you have to talk so much in your sleep? What is this, mute in the daylight, loud in the twilight? ...Argh!"

The irate woman continually shook the screaming boy while she muttered questions and threats with every shake. When she realized, though, that her roommate and partner wasn't going to wake up any time soon, she grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen and poured it on the face of the thrashing boy.

Trowa felt his whole face being swallowed as well, the cold, wet venom spreading through his face.

"No!"

He sat up abruptly and came face to face with Catherine's cream covered face.

"Ahh!"

A final slap from the girl finally brought him back to his senses.

Trowa rubbed his red and swollen cheek and sent his partner an irritated look. Catherine just shrugged it off, used to his angry glares by now and asked him if he was fine. When she was sure that Trowa wasn't going to run off and scream any further, she left his side and returned to her spot in the small trailer they shared. She tucked herself in, snuggled against the pillows and blankets and just before she fell asleep, she remembered something that would soothe Trowa from the horrors of his nightmare.

"Nanashi, don't forget ...that blonde boy's coming to visit today. Try to get some sleep."

With those words said, Catherine drifted off into a long, satisfying slumber.

The next morning proved to be a lot less horrifying for Trowa. He stretched his arms wide as a yawn escaped his lips. The nightmare left him tired but restless enough for the much-awaited visit of his blonde boy.

He had practiced so much the night before and hoped that this time, his voice and face would willingly cooperate with him if just for a few hours. This was his chance to win the affections of the boy he longed to be with and he wanted to make sure that he wouldn't make any mistakes this time.

He was just glad that the boy had decided to come back after their meeting two days ago. He remembered that day, awful as it was. Although he tried his best, he couldn't get the attention of the boy. He would've hoped that he could yell because then, he would surely be noticed. It seemed like too many people were fond of his blonde boy that he couldn't get him all for himself for even a minute. Catherine wasn't much help either.

Everything was a lot simpler when he was a squirrel, he remembered. During those times, the blonde boy would focus all his attention on the little creature that Trowa didn't need any coaxing on his part to be noticed.

Trowa sighed and looked far out into the distance. This was getting too hard for him and he was beginning to regret changing forms in the first place. He was beginning to weigh his choices and determine if the risky change was worth all the trouble. 

Trowa was so immersed in his thoughts that he didn't even notice the arrival of the blonde boy. While Trowa was indulging in his quiet and thoughtful reminiscing, Quatre stepped out of his car with a couple of friends and waved goodbye to his father. He walked towards Trowa and was elated to see the other boy once again.

"Nanashi!" he called out. When he didn't receive a response, he called out again. "Nanashi!"

Trowa didn't look like he was going to respond at all. 

Mother Nature was watching Trowa and was not pleased with what she saw. Trowa was once again too dazed to even notice what was going on.

"Foolish boy!" she said, not believing the boy's predicament. "You're still indulging in those precarious fantasies that you don't even notice that the object of your daydreams is right in front of you."

She thought it wrong to meddle with the situation but she also thought it necessary to nudge him a bit if she wanted to see her favorite weird-haired squirrel succeed. She was content on watching the exchange but when Trowa looked like he was going to stay that way for the rest of the day, she decided to go through with her plan.

Quatre stepped closer, making sure that the young acrobat was okay and followed the direction his eyes were looking toward. The boy seemed fine but he looked like he was thinking too deeply. He wondered what was so important to him that he would fall into a very seemingly intense daydream.

All of a sudden, the gentle breeze that was evident turned into something akin to a storm. A fallen branch on the ground was picked up by the violent winds and was swung directly toward Trowa's behind.

"Ouch!" Trowa exclaimed as he rubbed his now sore behind.Right after he said that, the winds miraculously died down and he was once again jerked back into reality.

Trowa was now angry as he looked up into the sky and didn't even notice his new visitors.

"Nanashi."

He turned his head to face the person who had called him and ended up with his lips connected to another pair of soft ones. He looked away quickly and blushed. He hadn't known that his blonde boy was standing that close.

"Those lips were soft." he thought, savoring the feel of his first kiss.

He turned back to greet the blonde boy but was surprised when he came face to face with furious black eyes.

"What was that?" the other boy asked through clenched teeth. He raised his arms up in the air and decided to forget the incident but his anger was still evident through his red and fuming face.

"Just my luck." Trowa thought. "My first kiss happened to be with someone else. Hmm, that's one of Quatre's friends." he remembered. "Oh, it's Mr. 'squirrels have germs.' Ha! Now look who has the germs. I hope he gets the plague."

Trowa ridiculed the boy in his head, not noticing that none of those thoughts were actually projected accurately in the real world. To the outside world, he was still as calm as ever, his face not even acknowledging the awkward situation.

"That was Wufei." Quatre said, pointing to the retreating figure of his friend. "Don't mind him, he could get edgy at times. Maybe Duo will like you better."

"Duo." Trowa's mind remembered. "The braided clown. The one who called me a mutant. The loud, annoying one." He looked at the approaching figure and remembered a twelve year old boy flipping him up in the air and catching him a second before he hit the ground, his heart thumping like a nervous wreck.

The now grown boy approached Trowa, a friendly grin evident on his face.

"Oh I know what that look means." Trowa thought as he warned himself of the oncoming mischief. 

After all the time he spent with the boys, he had learned just how to pick up the right signals. So, he decided that he wasn't going to be ridiculed by the boy this time. It was his turn to play tricks. 

He stuck his foot out innocently, his face not giving away his intentions.Duo fell face first on the ground just as Trowa had intended, looking undignified, his hair entangling him and rendering him bound and helpless.

The fallen boy looked at Trowa, having recognized the culprit, and was unnerved to find that the guilty boy looked unfazed, innocent and quiet, like nothing had happened.

"Creepy." Duo said as he picked himself up from the ground and hid behind Heero.

Heero, on the other hand, chose to introduce himself with a handshake, his cold stare rivaling that of Trowa's. Suspicion was evident in his greeting which Trowa tried to ignore but found both intimidating and unsettling. Heero knew that he'd have to watch this individual. Quatre was too trusting at times and that trust just might get him into trouble one of these days.

Quatre checked his friends' reactions and concluded that the meeting did not go as smoothly as he had hoped. He was really intent on getting his friends acquainted with this new person, a hopeful friend. It looked like they wouldn't be getting along though. The quiet boy was just too strange for his friends.

There was something, however, that caught Quatre's attention. Although this had been the first time this young acrobat had met his friends, the boy seemed to know them quite a bit, his eyes registering with recognition when they came into view.

Quatre thought it strange, too, that he was drawn to this boy. He was a big fan of the circus and its amazing display, but there was just something else about this situation that was disturbing him. It seemed like the green eyes screamed 'It's me!' but Quatre couldn't understand why exactly. The only way to find out was to get the other to talk and Quatre was determined to accomplish that task. It seemed silly, of course, but he felt that it was his mission. Whatever happened, he would find out.

"Quatre!" 

This time it was Quatre's turn to be broken out of his reverie.

"What is with kids nowadays?" Mother Nature muttered to herself. "Is daydreaming becoming some kind of hobby?"

She watched as the exchange went on and cheered for her squirrel turned human, occasionally applauding his reactions and one word answers but mostly commenting on his lack of expression and life. This was becoming one of her favorite pastimes and because of this, the jungles of Africa were starting to get cooler while the flowers of Greenland were beginning to sprout.

She continued her loud, uproarious support and ignored the fact that Trowa kept on looking skywards, annoyed at the all the ruckus that was disrupting his meeting.

Soon, the sun went down and it was time for the boys to leave. Trowa felt the dreary failure of not being able to have the blonde boy all for himself. The day had been spent talking about random, useless facts while Trowa listened on and stared at the sweet blonde who tried to get the quiet figure in on the conversation. He just wished that his whole day had been spent with Quatre and not listening to the voices of his loud friend. It just wasn't as satisfying.

He was reluctant as he led his guests out and assisted them as they boarded their vehicle. It was truly not one of his luckier days. He waved goodbye to his blonde boy and hoped that he would return again, his eyes revealing his misery.

"Mission failure." Trowa said to himself as he looked up into the dark sky.

That night he dreamed again. This time he was doomed to a smaller form. He noticed his size compared to the rest of the world as he flew around the pond that seemed more like an ocean from where he viewed it. 

He flapped his wings as fast as he could but he didn't know why he was doing so. His questions were answered, however, when he felt something slick brush against him. He turned his tiny head and saw a huge green creature projecting its dangerously lengthy tongue, trying to capture him.

"Not again." Trowa said, this time the life and expression drained out of his words. "What? So now I'm supposed to be Mr. Froggy's dinner."

"Eww," he said, smelling something foul coming from his tiny legs. "Have I been hovering around the trash dump all day?"

He decided that this dream had to end soon. He was just too smelly that his lungs couldn't stand his own smell and he was pretty sure that he didn't want to see the insides of the frog. And besides, he didn't want Catherine to pour cold water down his shirt. 

So, he did the only sensible thing that he could do at that time. He didn't think any further before flying directly to the tree off on the side. He made sure that his head bumped into the trunk as hard as it could. His plan worked because within seconds, he was back to reality rubbing his fake injury. These dreams were getting too bizarre and frightening. Why did he always have to be the prey? 

He decided to get out of bed and wash his face and noticed that his shirt was soaked with sweat as if he had really been flying around.

"This is getting too weird." he said as he picked himself up from the bed and proceeded to change his shirt.

The following morning was not as pleasant as he hoped it would be. Although the sun shone bright and the air was nice, he felt like a storm was raging in his head and his entire being was being swallowed by some unknown entity. Luck was not on his side. He felt like all of his efforts were being put to waste. He just thanked Mother Nature that he wasn't restrained to a time limit. Otherwise, he'd have a whole lot more to worry about.

"Just wait until the last minute before avoiding the lion's advances." he reminded himself, trying to concentrate on another act he was trying to master. "That's it. Come closer. There." He jumped high in the air, did a triple spin and landed upside down with his hand atop the beast. "Perfect." he said.

"That was amazing!"

Trowa jumped down from the beast's back and was surprised to see the blonde boy. He didn't known the boy was coming and he was horrified. He wasn't able to perform some facial exercises the night before and now he felt like he was doomed to failure for all eternity.

Before Trowa could even chide himself for his own incompetence, however, Quatre pulled him out and led him to the back of the tents.

"Sorry to pull you out of there but you looked like you needed a break."

Trowa just looked at Quatre, not uttering a word.

"I wanted to see you again so I just had to come back. If I hadn't known better, I'd say that you wanted to see me too. Oh, and don't worry, I didn't bring my friends. I know that they make you feel uneasy. Now you can have me all for yourself."

Trowa didn't know how to react. This boy had read through him so fast that he couldn't even believe his luck. It was beyond belief. Maybe things were going to work out for him after all. The boy had the remarkable ability of understanding his quiet responses and he was sure that this was a step toward his success.

Somewhere in the great expanse of the sky, Mother Nature clapped her hands and squealed in delight. 

"Blondie can understand him!" she shrieked.

** **


	5. Five

The Boy and The Squirrel

Part Five

"People tend to think that Heero's dangerous and quite suspicious too."

"Ah, yes, that little boy with the air gun who hit my sweet little behind." Trowa's mind reminded himself while all he could utter was "Okay."

At least this time, he was able to react with different phrases and every once in a while his jaw muscles and vocal chords would cooperate with him, formulating simple but significant words.

He was, once again, in the presence of his blonde boy, loving all the attention directed towards him. He was still curious as to what had caught the boy's attention that he wanted to even converse with a non-respondent and lifeless person such as himself. Although the results of his ongoing mission were beginning to lean in favor of him, he couldn't help but think that all these positive turn of events may eventually turn back on him.

"Catherine's really good with those knives."

Trowa nodded in response and watched his first acquaintance and partner hurl another one of her sharp blades a half inch away from the terrified man's finger.

Quatre found the circus both very entertaining and eccentric, a change from the usual stale grounds of his boarding school. There were just some things so perfect and organized that it bored you to the core. So, whenever Trowa had the chance, he would guide the beaming boy around the practice areas where he could feast his eyes on all the amazing displays.

So far, his actions have been proven effective if not plain lucky. Everything was going perfect for him for the past few weeks and he knew that he couldn't have asked for more. He felt that he was in some sort of fairytale, a story of childish imagination that bothered him despite its perfection. He was sure that something was going to happen soon. If that something didn't hurt him then it would probably be his downfall.

He looked at all the possible problems that may arise from the situation and pinpointed the hint to his eventual demise to the nightmares that were still recurring every time he shut his eyes in involuntary slumber.

They prey-predator nightmares were getting more intense, graphic, and frighteningly obvious. Just the night before, he was an ant, happily working with the rest of the little ants when an anteater invaded his colony. The big lug carelessly munched on the poor little things. That was when Trowa decided that an ant was the last thing he wanted to be if ever given the option.

Nevertheless, he strived hard to win the affections of his blonde boy. Every night before bedtime found him in front of a mirror, contorting his face in all possible ways and reciting words of different lengths. He was gaining a lot of ground in just a few weeks even if he wasn't aware of that fact.

This made Mother Nature proud and although she spent less time watching over her favorite squirrel-turned-human, she was always there when he needed supervision and guidance. Oftentimes, she would nudge him with the winds, scream at him with roaring thunder or simply give him that hour-long lecture that included pointers on just how to court a human. 

He never believed he would, but after a few days of silence, he realized that he needed her booming laughter and unprecedented methods of coaching. He noticed that the constant nagging dwindled down until all that was left was the unbearable silence and staleness of the clear, sunny days. He assumed that she was busy attending to her other creatures that were also in need of her assistance. Of course, there was always that feeling of withdrawal from the one support he used to hold on to.

Trowa was left to his own devices but still managed to keep himself together. Not only was he able to maintain a state of concentration, he was also able to minimize all those distracting daydreams.

The daily visits of the blonde boy was, indeed, soothing in spite of all the possible and somewhat delusional signs of failure that plagued him. 

"Nanashi, would you like to have some lunch now?"

Trowa snapped himself out of his quiet reverie.

"Is he asking me out?" Trowa's mind asked.

"Umm, if you're hungry, then we should grab something to eat before we continue," Quatre said, the concern evident in his face.

"Aww, he cares for me." 

This time, he was getting too optimistic.

"You know, you don't have to eat those things. They're filthy and they'll probably break your teeth."

"Eh?" Trowa voiced out.

He looked at Quatre's pointed finger and realized that the filthy things referred to were the delicious acorns on his cupped palm. He was confused that such a delightful and tasty treat would be condemned to such a lowly classification. Then again, there were just some things humans did not understand.

Quatre pulled on his sleeve and directed him toward the tents as he shoved the rest of the nuts in his pocket, intent on indulging in his favorite delicacy while nobody else was looking.

Lunch was sumptuous as usual with Catherine serving some bread, chicken, and potatoes. It had become a daily ritual whenever Quatre was around and Catherine was more than happy to serve the blonde boy who had so miraculously turned her once withdrawn partner into a more open individual, still lacking in expression but a lot more vibrant than before.

"Nanashi here doesn't like my cooking. He always goes for those things on the ground when he thinks that nobody's looking," Catherine said as she spread some butter on her slice of bread.

"And I think that it's great that he finally has you. I mean, we're good friends but I can't exactly communicate with him as well as you can."

She bit on the bread and chewed on it, seemingly oblivious to both Trowa's and Quatre's embarrassment.

"Hmm, and have I told you how good he was with the animals? They really like him. How about you Quatre? Do you like animals?"

"Actually, I'm very fond of them."

He looked more solemn at the change of subject.

"I used to have this little squirrel as a boy. I had to leave home for school and when I came back during the summer, I couldn't find him."

Trowa's ears suddenly perked up.

"Aww, now come on sweetie, it can't be that bad," Catherine said as she pat him on the back.

"Well, it really isn't as sad as it sounds. I really liked him though."

"That was so sweet but would you explain to me how the squirrel became a 'him' instead of an 'it'?" Catherine asked between bites.

"My friends and I had a fight about his gender. We couldn't agree on anything so Duo decided to check if it was a 'him' or a 'her' so after a few scratches and kicks from the squirrel, we found out it was a 'him'."

Trowa looked down to hide his quickly coloring face. At that time, he wasn't sure if he was more embarrassed with the revelation or more furious at the boy who had done the invasion of his privacy. He made sure to remember that he still needed to extract further revenge on the perpetrator.

"Nanashi, are you ok?"

Trowa looked up and smiled at the thought of the other's concern.

"Anyway, I think he was the most adorable creature I've ever seen."

Trowa couldn't help but bat his eyelashes at the remark. Quatre noticed the reaction and found it odd that this boy Nanashi would react to the statement as if it were a compliment directed toward him.

"He had this weird hair too. I never understood why he never wanted to get it trimmed down. It was just in the way. He was always bumping into trees."

With those words, Trowa reached instinctively for his hair and made sure that his precious fall of hair was still secure from where it was located.

This time, Quatre was sure that there was something going on with Nanashi. There was something too familiar nagging at him to divulge, urging him to uncover.

"Hmm, I think you had the same hair he had."

Quatre looked closer and Trowa shrunk back. It was too soon for a revelation and Trowa wasn't sure if his blonde boy's knowledge of the truth would have some unpleasant side effects. He didn't know if he should be careful of his identity but he was sure that he had to hold off until he was able to consult with Mother Nature.

"Quatre, I think your father's here to pick you up."

Much to Trowa's relief, Quatre quickly withdrew from his stare and looked through the window. He frowned at first but then thanked his hosts and bid farewell. A quick kiss on Trowa's cheek was delivered before he ran out to his impatient father.

Moments later, Trowa was left to ponder on the events that had just taken place. The kiss was quite pleasant. He knew that for sure. He'd always wanted to try that for so long. But there was something else bothering him and making him feel uneasy. The conversation they had was taking a dangerous turn and he felt something more concrete now, something that served as some sort of warning for an impending danger.

He walked around the open field to think but then decided that the forest area was more comfortable for him. It was one of the things that kept him apart from the civilized world. The atmosphere was quiet and welcoming as he walked further and further down an unmarked path, thinking and assessing the decisions to be made. 

He was hoping that it made no difference to the blonde boy if he was once a creature of the wild. His past wasn't dark and detestable, but it sure wasn't close to normal. He was contented now but there was no telling if that little detail would come up in the future and ruin everything that he had built for himself.

He stopped when he was too confused, closed his eyes and directed his face up to the sky, hoping that Mother Nature was around for some consultation. He was expecting her presence through the soft breeze but was surprised when he felt himself shoved against a tree. 

"Who are you?"

He opened his eyes to the deep, cold and familiar voice. Just as he suspected, Heero, the suspicious one, was preparing to interrogate him.

"I decided to check your records and you have none. I was checking if you were clean but it seems that you don't even exist. What were you planning to do with Quatre? I'm sure you know by now that he's really wealthy and I'm quite doubtful of you true intentions."

Trowa just stared at him blankly, all the questions left unanswered. In truth, he was scared like hell and he wished that Mother Nature were there to fend off the bully that was picking on him. He was just thankful that his inner turmoil did not show because then he'd be in bigger trouble.

"I know I can't do anything now but keep an eye on you. You haven't proven yourself guilty of anything but be sure to watch your back because if anything happens to our friend, I'll make sure that you either die a horrible death or live the rest of your life feeding off a tube."

His companion left just as swiftly and quietly as he appeared and Trowa leaned back on the tree to calm his nerves.

"Oops," he suddenly heard from above.

He looked up in the sky with the question in his eyes. Surely, Mother Nature wasn't there to make the situation worse than it already was.

"Umm, I forgot about that civilized human thingy with all the identification, birth records, etc., etc., etc."

She laughed and cracked her voice, being too nervous of Trowa's reaction. She thought she heard his eye twitch.

"What?" was the angry voice that responded.

"Hey, there's no use getting all furious and ill-tempered at dear old Mother Nature. Besides, those ears really look good on you."

Trowa decided to go along with her game although he new that she was just stalling the inevitable. He reached his hand up to the side of his head and found nothing there. Afraid that his ears had disappeared, he reached up to comb through his hair in frustration and bumped into a pair of furry ears.

"No way," he said.

Then, something else furry bumped him from behind. He slowly turned his head back and found a large, fluffy tail connected to his behind.

"Double oops," Mother Nature said again.

"And just what does 'double oops' mean?"

"Umm, Trowa, you better stop looking at me like you could actually kill me and start running like mad."

"Why?"

Another voice suddenly interrupted their talk from behind him.

"Oh yeah! I've finally hit the jackpot and got myself some tasty rump!"

Trowa turned his back and found that the voice belonged to no other than one of the predators of the wild. It was a snake a lot smaller than the one in his dreams but probably just as good in its ability to swallow him. Its forked tongue flickered out in anticipation as it scrutinized Trowa with its eyes.

"Hey Tro, long time no see. Now come on over here so I can have a taste of that sweet, juicy, ..."

"Ahh!" Trowa screamed as he made a mad dash toward some unknown destination.


	6. Six

The Boy and The Squirrel

Part Six

"No! I am not talking to you!" Trowa huffed in his tiny squirrel voice as he crossed his arms and looked away.

"Aww, C'mon Trowa. At least you're not today's dinner."

The wind blew the branches of the oak trees gently, causing the precious nuts that were attached to it to fall to the ground. Trowa's little eyes sparkled with mirth but the sparkle vanished when he continued his resolve, quite irritated at the bribery.

"Hmph! You can't just win me over with a couple of acorns you know!"

"Look on the bright side, Trowa," Mother Nature said, hoping to console the angry and disappointed creature. "At least you could talk now, you could express yourself more and you kept that weird thing hanging in front of your face."

"Don't insult my hair!" he huffed again.

He wasn't able to keep his anger up for long because after a few more grunts and irritated stares, he finally fell back on a tree and sagged down his now furry body to the ground.

"I was so close," he wailed as tears streamed down his face. "He kissed me too."

He covered his face with his tiny paws and shook his head in disbelief. He knew that his fairytale had to end some time but he didn't understand why his had to end too soon.

"I'm sorry Trowa, really," Mother Nature said, the sincerity of her words evident in her voice as she watched the helpless creature cry.

His tiny body shook as he sobbed and Mother Nature couldn't help but feel pity for him and disgust at herself for doing just what she had done. 

It seemed that the little favor she had given him caused more harm than good. Perhaps it was a mistake to have him hope for more and yearn for something that was quite a feat to accomplish. She just hoped that her Trowa's precious blonde boy appreciated all that he had gone through for him.

"I'm sorry Trowa," she said again and found the one she was talking to fast asleep and huddled against the dry leaves by the tree.

The continual screaming and constant sobbing finally caught up with him and put him into a sated slumber. 

Mother Nature sighed. She was hoping that it wouldn't come to this. Never had she done anything of this type during the many years that she watched over the earth. True, there were tales roaming around about infamous animals supposedly changing forms by the powerful working of Mother Nature's magic. All those were but false misconceptions of reality. In truth, she deemed such acts implausible and unnecessary.

However, when the love-struck Trowa approached her with his request, all rational thoughts evaded her. She gave in to his wishes without considering the complications brought on by such a rash decision. She learned later that it was risky for both him and the perfect balance of nature. That was why she had taken back the gift.

When she witnessed the aggressive and frightfully intimidating young man approach Trowa in such a threatening way, she thought that then would be the perfect time to change him back. She thought that Trowa would be vulnerable and thus, more accepting of the transformation.She was surprised, however, when Trowa rejected the escape, showing her how his spirit had not wavered in spite of his troubles.

He was a very strong and persistent being. She knew that. But it was possible that the turn of events may have traumatized him both physically and mentally. It was something she expected and she couldn't help but chide herself for her cowardly ways. She never told him the truth behind the transformation but then he never really asked her.

He trusted her. That was yet another blow. He hadn't questioned her and just sobbed like a child, eventually falling asleep.

She noticed his slightly shaking form and directed the warmth of the sunlight toward him.

True, she did not withdraw her decision to keep the balance of nature but she wanted to find a way to make up for her mistake. She somehow had to set things right for him, probably hook him up with some other hot squirrel so he'd take his mind off the blonde boy.

Of course, she couldn't brainwash him despite her desire to do so. He'd just have to live with the memories and force himself to make new ones. That was the way things were. That was the proper balance of nature.

With that thought still lingering, she left Trowa to rest but not before making sure that he was warm and cozy around the leaves and the branches that have fallen on the ground. Just to complete things, she added a couple of acorns by his side for him to enjoy once he'd awaken from his deep sleep.

Hours later, Trowa woke up to find his nightmare a reality. Everything he feared happened in a flash, too fast to comprehend and too devastating too accept.

He felt horrible for giving Mother Nature such a harsh condemnation but still felt that she had betrayed him in the worst way possible. He couldn't understand why she had given him this fate of unfulfilled hopes and meaningless existence. 

Now that he was back to being a squirrel, he could no longer indulge in some of his favorite activities, the most treasured of which were his daily meetings with his beloved blonde boy. There was just nothing more to look forward to.

He sighed, slumped back on the tree and landed on the stack of nuts prepared for him by Mother Nature. He picked one up, intending to eat his troubles away but then realized something pertinent to his situation.

"This is what's separating me from the human world," he said aloud.

His indulgence in acorns was but a clue to this new revelation. He began to understand his dreams as well and almost smacked himself in the forehead for not realizing it sooner.

He had to be human in both mind and body because the body was just another random and useless object without the mind. All the time he spent as a human, he never accepted his new form the way he should have. All his time had been spent trying to alter that which couldn't be changed and rejecting that which was natural to him.

That was the answer to the mystery behind the forms of prey he had turned into. He was unstable and confused and this reluctance to accept the facts of his existence was what consumed him. It was his enemy. It was the predator that threatened to devour him.

He was too stubborn to realize that he was just fine the way he was. Sure, he couldn't express himself as much as the other humans did but he was, more or less, part of their world. He didn't need to blabber on about useless facts. Quatre understood him without the words. He was able to unearth the Trowa beneath the listless disguise.

Quatre was making progress and more importantly, *he* was making progress. This sudden transformation didn't have to halt his mission. He was now determined to move on with his plans, unmindful of the certain modifications he had to make.

With his new objective and newfound persistence, he moved up from his slumped position and decided that his blonde boy deserved a visit from his long lost squirrel.

Sure he wouldn't expect the boy to pucker up for a rodent but a pat on the head and a warm welcome was good enough for him.

He ran to the direction he hoped was right and expected that Mother Nature wouldn't mind his sudden disappearance. He had no time to explain his theory for he was now more determined than ever.

It was minutes later when Mother Nature returned with a bombshell of a squirrel, starry-eyed and excited at the prospect of meeting her new partner.

"Is he as hot as you say he is?" the creature asked while straightening out her fur and preparing herself.

"Oh yeah! Trust me honey. He has this really, really cute tail and hair that just screams 'Look at me baby, I'm sexy!'"

"Good ...good. It's almost springtime and I've been looking for a mate for months. My babies will look absolutely gorgeous if what you're saying is correct."

All of a sudden, Mother Nature felt bad for Trowa and hoped that this female she had chosen was worthy enough for him. She couldn't help but doubt her choice when she heard the statement about Trowa being turned into a baby-making machine. She shuddered at the thought of Trowa being surrounded by multitudes of tiny babies, running around for food and handling such small creatures. She though that he was a bit too young and a bit too adventurous to be tied down with these responsibilities. 

"Mother Nature, are you listening?"

"But she was the only one available at the moment," was her rationalization.

"Where's Trowa?"

"Trowa could always find himself another," she thought to herself.

"Mother Nature?"

"...although tiny squirrels with that weird hairstyle covering half of their faces would be such an adorable scene," she reasoned out to herself.

"Mother Nature? Are you still there?"

"Hmm, What was that dear?"

"I was asking where this Trowa was."

"Oh, he's right there by the tree."

"I don't see anything."

Mother Nature looked closely and realized that he was, indeed, gone from his previous position. She searched within the area. He was nowhere in sight. She doubted that he would frolic around just after the sudden blow but hoped that the relentless creature had not gone too far.

Beyond her realm, she could not assure his safety. She could only protect him against those things she had control over. She feared that if he decided to go back to the human realm that he may just encounter things he had never thought of as threatening. His size was sure to be a setback and an obvious weakness in his part. She hoped again and again that he wouldn't be turned into day-old road kill just yet.

Suddenly, her mind flew to realizations of what she could and could not do. The earlier incident with the snake had only proven the point that she had no power over everything. During the chase, she could only shriek as she watched the hungry and eager predator slither on after her favorite squirrel. Although she controlled nature, she could not meddle with it. There was always that principle of maintaining but not interfering. Again, it was the proper balance of nature that took a hold on her.

"He better be careful this time," Mother Nature said while the now irate and soon to be partner crossed her arms and tapped her foot, her impatience more than obvious.

"This is not good," Mother Nature added.

"What's not good?"

"Never mind that, dear. I'm sorry but you won't be able to meet Trowa today. He's, umm, how do I say this? He's kind of a daredevil with a very adventurous heart. He's always open to new things and new experiences so he's probably run off somewhere."

"What? Then that means that he won't make a good and stable father. I'm sorry Mother Nature, but my future babies deserve the best."

With her decision voiced out, the prospective female left in search of her new mate.

"What a shame," Mother Nature thought as she watched the disappointed creature head on back to where she came from. "She doesn't know just what she's missing."

Somewhere not far from his home, Trowa panted as he watched the civilized world in awe. Things looked so much bigger now that he was a squirrel. He didn't remember that little detail until he actually saw the size difference. 

He knew that this was going to be a problem especially since he ended up in a city instead of a small town like he did before. Mother Nature wasn't around either so he really didn't know where to begin. All he had in mind were visions of his Quatre, his goal.

It was simple, really. All he had to do was find the other boy again and pray that this time, things would work out just fine for them both.

"Here I come, Quatre," he said as he stepped into the street, his intentions and objectives still present in his mind.


	7. Seven

**The Boy and The Squirrel [Part Seven]**

"Yikes!"

Trowa kissed his paws all over, thankful that the passing truck hadn't squashed it. Of course, if the truck did get past him, he'd be nothing more than flattened meat.

"How am I supposed to get to the other side?" he asked himself and watched the speeding cars pass by.

He noticed this time that he was able to converse even if the conversations were usually held with nobody but himself. At least he was able to control his actions better. Nevertheless, there was always the regret that he wasn't able to do so in the company of his blonde boy.

A loud honk snapped him out of his pessimistic thoughts as he looked forward to the dangerous road ahead of him. With three lanes going north and three lanes going south, he reckoned that the distance he would have to cover would be very difficult if not impossible to accomplish. He was too young to die and too sane to follow the example of the idiotic cat just ran like hell.

"Now let's see here," he said while trying to figure out the best solution to the problem.

He scratched his ear unconsciously and furrowed his forehead in deep concentration.

"Oh, look at that honey!" someone suddenly piped up. "That little thing is just so adorable, acting like he's actually thinking!"

Trowa turned his head toward the voice, annoyed at the interruption of his thoughts. Two humans were standing close to him with the female inviting her companion to take notice of the funny looking squirrel on the sidewalk.

"Isn't that the weirdest hair you've ever seen on a squirrel?" she continued.

Her companion merely shrugged and watched the traffic lights change color. When the lights finally turned green, the pair crossed, now unmindful of their small encounter.

"Now, why didn't I think of that?" Trowa asked himself and did as the pair had done, crossing the street with a lot more confidence.

He was proud of this new discovery and held his head up high. The experience with the circus obviously didn't do much to teach him about the city. He'd seen cars and huge vehicles pass by but never had the chance to visit the city. His time was used wisely, hanging out in the bathroom and practicing his facial muscles.

It was a little too late when he noticed a car coming toward him. When he saw the huge vehicle getting closer, he put his paws in the side of his face and screamed in terror. He then covered his eyes and prayed that his short life was not put to waste by various indecisions and false judgments. Seconds later, he felt a strong gush of wind and found himself located safely under the vehicle. He was shaking as he came out from between the now immobile tires and ran to the sidewalk. All he heard after were irritated comments from fellow pedestrians.

"Crazy old man," they said and he had no reason to argue with them.

He calmed down his nerves and decided to try it again. Watching out for crazy drivers, he did the same with the next few streets and was satisfied with the outcome.

He made sure to watch the people's movements and listen to their conversations if only to find clues to the location of his blonde boy. His blonde boy was supposed to be in school, he remembered, and that served as his first clue. It was a significant clue but it was also too broad to deduce anything from.

On the other hand, he also remembered that the boy had mentioned something about his school grounds being too quiet and separated from the rest of the world. His location was just not the place to begin the search. After all, his surroundings were too congested and too loud to be considered something that was separated from the rest of the world.

"You know what? I think that I'd like to move to the suburbs," a burly man said, handing the purchased hotdog to his customer.

Trowa took this time to stop his aimless wandering and listen in on the conversation.

"The city's just too loud for me. Besides, I'll be retiring soon. I'm sure that little house I've had my eye on three miles east wouldn't be a bad place to spend the rest of my life. My wife said that…"

Trowa's ears picked up the vital information and decided that it was his lucky day. He assumed that this 'suburb' the man mentioned was quiet enough and comparable enough to Quatre's description.

East, he remembered was where the sun rises. That wasn't too hard to locate since the sun was slowly setting to his left. All he had to do was to run in the opposite direction.

However, the concept of 'miles' was fairly new to him. It was too vague for the squirrel that had done very little traveling during his days in the circus. It was going to be tough to figure that out but the lack of knowledge did not put him down because after another few minutes of trying to figure out exactly what a 'mile' was, he decided to keep on going to the right until he saw something interesting.

So he continued to run, making sure that he crossed the streets on the designated walkways and stopped at the red lights. He noticed after a while that the streets were getting less crowded than before. He felt sure that he was going the right way.

A few more streets traveled rendered him too tired to go on. He stopped his run and sat on the lush grass that covered a front lawn of a nice, plain house.

"You know, my girl goes to that really prestigious school where all the rich folks have their children go."

His ears perked up again at the mention of the word 'school'.

"Isn't that a little too far from here?" her companion asked.

"Heavens, no! You're thinking about that other filthy place. My daughter goes to that school three streets down."

Trowa just about bolted for the direction when he realized that the woman had used the term 'daughter'. He was sure that Quatre was a boy and Quatre went to a school that housed only boys.

He became too agitated at the lack of pertinent information but forced himself to listen. Maybe the competing women would spill out something more relevant to his situation.

"Last I heard, that school was riddled with corruption. Hmph! At least my son is going to a better school. It's really quiet and very solitary. At least there, your daughter won't come running after him. No misguided ladies will be going after my boy."

"Bingo!" Trowa said and stepped closer to the women.

"Now, go ahead and tell me where it is," he said although he knew that the humans did not speak his language.

"I don't think that I've ever heard of such a place. I think you're lying."

"You're just jealous because my son won't date your girl. Frankly, I think that he's too good for her."

"Now, calm down ladies," Trowa said, steeping in between the two fuming women despite knowing that he was quite invisible to them at the moment. "Tell me where this 'boy' school is and we could all be happy," he added.

"Hah! I'm sure your boy's got his eye on her. He's just too spineless to admit it. Maybe he gets it from his mother."

"Why you witch!"

Trowa stepped aside in fear of his safety. The women were going to start an all-out fight and he just wasn't in the mood to get anywhere between the two.

"These grown women are just as bad as the kids!" Trowa said, resigned.

He knew for sure that he wouldn't get anything out of the two infuriated women.

The exhaustion of his recent journey suddenly became apparent to him upon sitting back down on the cool, damp grass. He felt his mouth go dry and immediately proceeded to the sprinklers close by. He tapped the uncooperative contraption and decided later that kicking the unresponsive object did not help to release the precious liquid that was stored within.

"Some cold water would be nice," he thought and headed toward an open window.

When he entered the room, he was delighted to see a tall glass of water on a table, too distracted to listen in on the conversation that was going on.

"I finally found out which school he goes to!" a girl told her friend in excitement.

Two girls were sitting on the bed, thoroughly engrossed on the topic being discussed.

"Are you sure his mother isn't lying?"

"Who cares? There's no harm in trying, right? I'm sure he'll be glad to see me again after so long."

"Your mother is going to ground you, you know."

"Whatever. So, will you come with me for a visit?"

"Sure. I want to see if this Heero is as great as you say he is."

Trowa gulped down too much water and almost chocked at the mention of the name 'Heero'. He felt a mind numbing fear pass through him as he remembered the events that took place just before his transformation.

"Dorothy, could we use your car? My mother's going to kill me if I even ask her to take us there."

"Of course, Miss Relena. We'll leave right away. You're mother's too busy arguing with Heero's mother. I'm sure they won't notice that you're gone."

Trowa thought it odd that someone would use the title Miss when talking to a friend but dismissed the thought. He had to focus on more important matters.

The young lady named Relena was delighted at the upcoming visit and Trowa was too. He danced around the table, spilling the water and breaking the glass in the process.

"Ah!" both ladies screamed in surprise as they watched the terrified Trowa run out the window.

He hid in the corner of the windowsill and remained there until it was time to go through with his plan.

This time, Trowa was sure that luck was on his side. Mother Nature would have been so proud if she saw him right now. He was succeeding in his new mission even without her help. Not only had he found the blonde boy's location, he also got himself a free ride.

A few minutes later, Trowa cursed his fate, as he held on tight to the back of a car. He was slipping off and this Dorothy person was quite the violent driver. Once inside, she stepped on the gas like there was no tomorrow and drove her huge golden car past stoplights and crossing pedestrians. He was glad that he wasn't one of the unfortunate pedestrians but he wasn't happy with the position he was in either.

"I am going to live through this. I am going to live through this," Trowa kept on repeating to himself and closed his eyes in fear of his life. Somehow, the thought of running for the next few hundred miles seemed like a better idea.

A thousand curses later, he found himself finally in the grounds of his blonde boy's school. Trowa put his paws over his rapidly beating heart and thanked Mother Nature that he didn't fall off the speeding vehicle. He knew that she was still helping him somehow. She was just subtler and less intrusive this time.

It was almost dark when they arrived and Trowa almost fainted when he stepped back down on the ground, seeing for the first time Quatre's so-called school. It was enormous and the dorms that housed the students were even bigger than the main building itself.

He kept up his pace with the two girls and made sure that he didn't loose them just yet. They were still useful to his cause and they were sure to lead him to the blonde boy. Running into Heero was just another one of those problems he had to deal with later. Besides, the ladies would be too busy distracting Heero for the other to even notice his presence.

When they arrived at the main entrance, Trowa left the girls to their own devices and decided to look through the windows instead. He didn't want to be spotted by the humans inside their haven, not being sure if they would welcome the furry animal or shun him from their presence.

A run through the windowsills proved to be harder than he thought and after an hour or so of searching, he still hadn't located his blonde boy. There seemed to be too many windows and too many unfamiliar faces that confused his overused mind.

Then, he came to a stop at the sound of a familiar voice and peered in to see the braided one conversing with another one of Quatre's friends.

"C'mon, let's go hang out at Quatre's room. He needs some cheering up," the braided one said.

"He's probably sleeping, Duo," answered his companion who was concentrated on reading a book.

Trowa remembered the faces of the two and matched their features to the friends named 'Duo' and 'Wufei'. Duo, he still had to get his revenge on and Wufei, he had to avoid. He looked away in shame and remembered the fury in the face of Wufei when they accidentally kissed. He was getting into trouble with Quatre's friends now that he thought about it.

"He sleeps too early! Plus, he probably needs company so let's go already," the braided one continued to whine.

Before the other could even answer, he pulled his friend up and headed to the direction Trowa knew had to be the room of his blonde boy.

He ran as fast as he could despite the obstacles in the way. He had a difficult time catching up with the two while running forward and checking their position through the window. Somehow, he knew that he would soon be rewarded with the excitement of meeting his blonde boy again.

"What the…?" he said after the two made another turn.

Trowa skidded to a halt when he saw the braided boy through the window, enjoying a huge sandwich while his now irate friend left for the other direction.

Trowa's eye twitched in anger. He'd been led to false directions all day and the braided one only made his search more difficult than it already was.

"Hello, Heero," he heard Relena say and automatically backed away. He noticed that the girls had accomplished their goal even before he had accomplished his. He thought that maybe he would ask for their help later.

"What do you want?" he heard Heero say and peered in to see the scowl on the other's face. He had the same dangerous look in him as he always had.

A surge of fear passed through him at the sight of Heero as he moved away from the window. He was going to get himself as far away from the feared boy as possible.

Knowing that he was in danger if he even came into contact with him, he jumped up to the next floor and looked through the next set of windows. It was already dark and he hadn't made any success. The clues that lay before him were very clear but hard to follow and he was getting too tired to go on.

Worn-out from the day's search, he stopped by a window of a darkened room and lay down on the cold concrete to get himself some well-deserved sleep. This time, the nightmares were eliminated from his mind as he dreamed of his short but reminiscent encounter with his blonde boy. He lay down and curled himself up, preserving the warmth that enveloped his tired body.

Moments later, he heard the door of the room open. Whoever came in proceeded directly to the bathroom. He heard the water running and teeth being brushed but decided to check on the person the following day.

He fell back into a satisfied slumber and was disturbed from it again when the window was opened. A pair of hands appeared from it and Trowa was carefully picked up from his position. The small creature was too tired to even care of what happened after.

Whoever had picked him up held a penetrating gaze on him before placing him in a soft, warm bed. He was covered in a thick blanket and not soon after was joined by a warm body that proved to be more comforting than the mattress. A familiar scent penetrated his nostrils and soon, he fell into a deep, lulling sleep by the soothing and familiar smell of his blonde boy.


	8. Eight

**The Boy and The Squirrel [Part Eight]**

Trowa snuggled deeper into the warmth beside him and didn't notice when the door suddenly opened. He felt a swift gush of wind but didn't care much, feeling too comfortable in the state that he was in. A smile formed on his face as he continued to push himself closer to the warm and inviting back.

Despite the inviting scent that surrounded him, Trowa felt a little odd having to keep on pushing thick hair back as it covered him, much like the blanket did its job. It was a bit irritating but he knew that it would be wrong to ask for more. After all, he found his blonde boy and he was more than contented.

He heard a knock on the already opened door and continued to ignore it just like the person beside him did.

"Maxwell!" someone suddenly screamed.

"Maxwell?" Trowa asked, startled.

He immediately opened his eyes and stared at the mass of brown hair covering him. He struggled against the strong locks and couldn't believe that he was snuggling against the wrong person.

"But the scent..." Trowa thought while continuing to fight the strands.

"Duo, what are you doing with Quatre's pillows?"

"I wanted to swap with him," the still sleepy boy answered.

"Without telling him?"

"Leave me alone Wufei. It's too early for me to hear another one of those lectures."

The unwelcome visitor didn't leave the room but continued to stare with his feet planted on the ground. He was still in his pajamas with his hair down, obviously in need of a warm shower and a hot breakfast.

"Duo, do you know that Quatre was looking for his pillows last night. In the process of swapping, you forgot to put in the exchange. ...And what are you doing with his sheets?"

"Hey, they're the cutest sheets I've ever seen. I deserve cute sheets too you know!"

Wufei sighed, exasperated and went for the still open door.

"I won't even ask you how you got those sheets," he said. "By the way, there's a rodent caught in your hair."

"Huh?"

Duo turned his head back and found Trowa still fighting against the bonds that his hair provided. The squirrel looked very determined as he began to chew through the offending vines.

The braided one caught him just in time, successfully stopping the imminent ruin of his precious hair.

"Hey there little buddy," he said. "You're not in there anymore. Relax. Geez, it's not like the thing's gonna kill you."

After a few more kicks and the furry animal finally calmed down.

"There, now isn't that better?"

Just as Duo thought that the squirrel was done with his fit, it began to kick again but this time, it was for a different reason.

"Why you..." Trowa said and continued to kick. "...deceiving me like that! Bring me to Quatre at once!" he demanded.

Of course, Duo had no idea of what the tiny and furious squirrel was so agitated about. He decided that the only way to stop the creature from going on was to snap him right out of it. He rushed to the bathroom, put him on the sink, and turned on the cold water.

Trowa was not happy. He screamed from the feel of the cold just after his warm snuggle and was brought back to reality. He looked up at Duo with the water still running and sat down on the quickly pooling sink.

"Where's Quatre?" he asked and looked up at Duo with teary eyes.

"Augh!" was Duo's response as he picked up the creature and dried him off.

A few hours later found Trowa stuck inside a confining backpack, struggling against the gigantic books that were taking over his space. Now, he was even more furious at the braided one for putting him in such a position.

"'It's gonna be a secret,' he says'"

"'You'll only be in there for a couple of minutes,' he promised"

"Well, I'm still in here and I want to get out!"

It was unfortunate for him since the thick books were holding him down. He tried to climb up but was immediately put back to place. He did the same a few more times and when he finally accepted that he wasn't going to escape any time soon, he leaned back on the books. Tiring himself any further didn't help so he surrendered and listened in on the conversations going on around him. Maybe that way, he'd find his blonde boy without the help of the braided one. He would just have to find a way to make his escape later.

The bearer of the bag continued to jog, causing Trowa to get caught in between two books and stopped abruptly. It sounded like he was going to talk to someone.

"Where have you been?"

Trowa recognized the voice instantly and cringed in fear.

"Aww, c'mon Heero! You should be happy to see me."

Trowa went stiff and felt that it'd be best if he played dead inside the bag.

"Quatre was looking for his pillows last night."

"Augh! Don't tell me that everyone's going to keep on hounding me for doing that. It was a mistake, okay. It wasn't like I wasn't going to give them back."

"You know he's upset."

"About the pillows?"

"No."

Trowa heard a sound of aggravation, which he decided came from Heero. Sometimes, the braided one irritated him too.

"You should know why," Heero insisted.

"Oh, right. That problem. He's still sulking about that circus clown boy that disappeared?"

"Yes."

"Don't you worry Heero. I've got a surprise for him right in here."

Trowa felt dizzy as the bag shook. The tap was a little too hard.

"Don't start, Duo."

"Hear me out."

The other seemed reluctant as the two fell silent. Trowa imagined the pleading look on the face of the braided boy.

"Fine."

"Ok, now, don't tell him yet. I'll tell Wufei later but nobody tell him. It's supposed to be a surprise."

"Get on with it before we're late."

"Remember that little mutant Quatre used to hang out with?"

"Mutant? I resent that!" Trowa huffed from inside the bag.

Knowing that he couldn't do anything other than plot revenge, he continued to listen.

"Go ahead."

"I found him out my window last night and brought him in before he was able to run away again."

"How do you know that that thing you picked up was not just some random squirrel that happened to be outside your window the moment you decided to check?"

"How many squirrels have you seen with that sideway, pointy hairstyle?"

"Point taken."

Trowa grabbed his fall of hair and thought it odd that everyone thought it peculiar if not just plain creepy. He looked at it and ruffled it, engrossed at arranging it to look its best. He didn't even notice when the zipper of the bad was opened.

The next thing he saw was Heero's scrutinizing face a mere inches away from him. He was shocked and tried to squirm away from Duo's hold to get as far away from the other as possible.

"He looks familiar," Heero said as he looked closer at the very nervous squirrel and flicked its hair.

"Of course he is."

By this time, Trowa had decided to stay still while the sweat trickled down his furry body. There was a slight possibility that Quatre would accidentally stop by and save him. He continued his wishful thinking and prayed fervently for a quick and painless death.

"No. I'm not talking about Quatre's squirrel. He looks more like someone I've seen before."

"Yeah, sure Heero. You're getting another one of those suspicious streaks. Give it up before we're late. Just tell me later how you plan on murdering it."

He stuffed the now relieved Trowa in the bag and ran for the direction Trowa knew was the classrooms.

Inside the bag, Trowa let out his breath and let the books support his traumatized and tensed body. He was very close to another confrontation and he felt more paranoid now at the presence of any of Quatre's friends.

He was even more worn-out now than he was before. He just woke up from one of his most delightful slumbers and yet, his body seemed to say otherwise. It was just natural, having faced what looked like a very dangerous predator. Sometimes, he thought that the humans were even more dangerous than the vicious creatures that roamed the forests.

Finding nothing else to do, he decided to take a nap and have Duo carry him around for the rest of the day. It was dark anyway and if he did rest, he would find more energy later to search for his blonde boy. This time, he wasn't counting on Duo's help since it seemed more like the braided one wouldn't be able to keep him in one piece. That was the last thought he had before he gave in to another long slumber.

The next thing Trowa heard as he stretched his body was murmurs from what sounded like a small crowd huddled around him. He tensed up, concluding that he was being turned into an experiment and dissected until the students are able to poke his insides.

He was sacred but opened his eyes when he felt someone pet him. He looked up to find his blonde boy directly in front of him while the now familiar groups of friends were arguing about some unknown topic.

"I told you he was still alive. He was just sleeping." Duo said.

"You idiot! You don't just put living things inside confined spaces without leaving an air hole. He could've killed him!"

"Well, he's alive now. I don't see any problems there."

Wufei just snorted but Trowa didn't hear anything since he was too concentrated on something else. All he did was stare at the mysterious image of his blonde boy. He wasn't sure if the image was real but he was sure that the image was more than welcome after his unending search.

He put his paws over a finger that lay on the side and stared back up. He didn't get a response save for a smile that graced the blonde boy's lips. Knowing that the smile didn't prove anything, he decided to poke the finger with his sharpened claw.

"Ow!" was the boy's reaction as he sucked on his injured finger.

Trowa realized then that all he was seeing was real. He leaped for the unsuspecting boy and hugged him with what little arms he had. The warm gesture was useless but nevertheless meaningful as the delighted creature hung on the white shirt.

He found his blonde boy for the second time and this time, he was certain that he had to do everything he could to make his impossible fantasies come true.

On the other side of the window, Mother Nature watched, reluctant but proud of Trowa's accomplishment. He was more than exceptional and it was possible that he would be able to do just what he desired.

Her attention was divided, however, as she talked to another one of her creatures.

"So, Mother Nature, will you turn me into an elephant?"

Mother Nature just stared at the tiny, colorful butterfly and didn't say a word. Her creatures' requests were starting to get a little more absurd than usual. She hoped that the word about Trowa's transformation didn't get out. Otherwise, she'd have to deal with multitudes of unhappy creatures.

"Tell me again why you want to change into an elephant," Mother Nature said, afraid of the answer. "I think you look pretty the way you are right now. If I change you, you're going to have to give up all that color for a plain gray covering," she added.

"Because I'm in love with an elephant."

Mother Nature quelled the urge to groan. She wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or cry. She just couldn't imagine how a butterfly could fall in love with an elephant. It was either she wasn't changing with the times or her creatures were going insane. Their recent requests have become more absurd and unreasonable.

"Will you do it for me Mother Nature?" the hopeful insect asked.

"Umm, you know dear," she said, trying to sound like the mother she actually was. "If you were an elephant, you couldn't just flitter around because if you do, you're going to crush all my other creatures."

"But aren't your creatures supposed to run happy and free no matter what size they were?"

Mother Nature groaned this time, knowing that she would need to go on another debate with the clueless butterfly. Perhaps, being too close to the civilized world had plagued its mind. After all, the programs in the box they called the 'television' featured talking animals and flying elephants.

"Why?" Mother Nature asked herself and realized that Trowa never questioned her before. Perhaps it was the reason she gave in to him. He was different, probably more in tune with what he desired than the creatures that surrounded him.

She wanted to reward Trowa by giving his gift back right then but just wasn't decided enough on the matter. There was still that proper balance she was worrying about. She wanted to help but was left with no other options.

Trowa had to do everything on his own. She was counting on him to prove her theories wrong and prove that he would be able to undertake whatever obstacles were set upon him. He had to show her just what the proper balance really was.


	9. Nine

**The Boy and The Squirrel [Part Nine]**

The bathroom mirror became foggy as Trowa continued his daily shower under the bathroom sink. He rubbed some of the liquid hand soap over his wet fur and sang a discordant tune while making sure that he cleaned every spot. It was no good if Quatre got sick because of him. He thought that he might as well get rid of the plague that Wufei kept on talking about. He still wasn't sure which part of him carried the mysterious disease so he decided to just clean every part of him and be done with it.

Finishing his shower, he climbed up and then turned the knob until the faucet water no longer flowed. He reached over to the towel rack and retrieved a small towel, using it to rub himself dry. Looking at his shaggy self, he reached for a toothbrush and brushed his fur into perfection. A few strokes later, he jumped down to the bathroom cabinet and squeezed out some of the hair gel from a large tube. He climbed back to where the mirror was and then began arranging his hair to its usual form.

A few minutes later, he heard small rocks hitting the window. He found it odd that there would be a storm in the middle of a sunny day so he jumped down and decided to check the weather outside the window. He was barely able to lift a few centimeters of the heavy window when a gush of wind blew in.

"Trowa, are you trying to keep me out?" was the amused question that greeted him.

He was startled but nonetheless expecting the inevitable from his long time guardian. It had been almost a year since he started living with the humans and almost a year since he last spoke to her.

"Mother Nature, you know I can't open the window. It's a hundred times my size."

"And so are the humans you've been staying with. Trowa, haven't you decided to come back yet?"

Trowa sighed and then sat down on the fluffy bed.

"I'm already adjusting to things around here. There's nothing wrong with me staying here, is there?" he asked.

Mother Nature wanted to say yes but decided against it. There was no use lecturing him when he was very intent on staying where he was and she was hoping that they wouldn't have a sour reunion based on the same old topic. She looked at him and chose to change the subject instead.

"What's that smell?"

"Smell?"

"It smells like lavender."

"Oh," Trowa said and then sniffed himself. "It must be the soap I used to shower."

Trowa was not prepared for what happened next. Strong winds suddenly stirred up the barely ventilated room as Mother Natured laughed heartily.

"Hey, what's so funny?" Trowa asked, quite irritated.

"That is probably the most insanely adorable thing you ever did," she answered and continued laughing. "I should've been there to witness it."

"I resent that."

"What's next? Are you going to tell me that you've started to dress and act like the humans as well?"

Trowa crossed his arms and then held his tiny head up high in indignation.

"As a matter of fact, yes. I was talking to Duo the other day and he suggested that we go out sometime and get some clothes for me. It gets chilly at night."

This time, Mother Nature was more concerned of Trowa's state of mind and more importantly, the boy Duo's state of mind. Perhaps Trowa was getting foolish influences or the humans were corrupting him in ways she could only imagine. She was hesitant but dared to ask the question.

"So you could talk to the humans?"

"Yes."

"Trowa, I think you need some fresh air. It looks like this stale environment is starting to get to you. What do you say? Want to come out for a while? All the lady squirrels are waiting in line for you after I told them about how much of a hunk you are."

"I don't need a wife," he said simply and then continued. "Besides, I'm not crazy. I can communicate with the humans if I wish to do so. It isn't that hard, really."

Mother Nature was skeptical but didn't know what questions to ask.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

She didn't answer.

"If I prove it to you, will you grant me a favor?"

"Umm," Mother Nature started, unsure of what request he would be. "Fine. But no asking for any form changing. Your last request caused quite a stir in the animal kingdom. It's been getting harder to convince everyone that they're just perfect the way they are."

"That wasn't what I had in mind anyway," Trowa answered with a smirk.

Just then, the door of the room opened, revealing a blonde head that peeked in to find the newly bathed creature sitting on the bed. Quatre came closer and picked up the squirrel, studying his features. Mother Nature watched in concentration. After a few minutes of checking over, Quatre put Trowa back down on the bed and entered the bathroom.

"So you took another shower today, didn't you?" he asked, not expecting an answer.

Trowa noticed the boy's state, dirty and sweaty and concluded that Quatre worked too hard during gym class. That only meant one thing. He ran for the bathroom and took a seat on the rim of the toilet bowl.

"Trowa, what are you.."

"Shh," Trowa instructed Mother Nature.

Not quite understanding, Mother Nature decided to see what Trowa was up to. She looked at the excited and almost clapping squirrel and then at the blonde. Quatre was taking off his shirt.

"Oh my."

Both of them got a good view of the blonde stripping down into nothing before stepping into the shower stall and turning the knob to release the water.

"Ah Trowa, you shouldn't be watching this," Mother Nature suggested but she too was concentrated on the scene.

Trowa heard Mother Nature's warning but was too far-gone staring at the person in the shower to protest. The opaque glass door that separated him from the spraying water left just enough for a good peek. The water was cascading down the slender back, bringing along the soapsuds with it. Quatre put his face into the water coming out of the showerhead and closed his eyes. Trowa was in heaven.

It was then that Mother Nature decided to think certain things over in her head.

"So," she thought. "Trowa prefers them furless with white skin and yellowish hair. Now where could I get one of those? All the female squirrels I have in line for an interview look nothing like that blonde boy," she mused and then something suddenly clicked. "Aha! Boy! I should've figured that out earlier. Perhaps Trowa would prefer a male squirrel."

She made a mental note to track down some eligible male squirrels when she got back to her domain.

"But," she added as a second thought. "They're all too furry. Maybe a good shaving is in order. Yes. That would be perfect. And bleach them so that the fur at the top of their heads were identical to this boy's."

She congratulated herself on the well though out plan but then remembered the little details that she was meaning to include in the topic at hand.

"But what about the reproductive cycle?"

She was quite irritated at endless list of requirements.

"Bah! That fur bleaching will have to do for now."

Just as she finished her thoughts, Trowa finished his show. Quatre came out of the shower with his hair still wet and a towel around his waist and walked toward the sink. Finding a lot more mess than he left earlier, he began to clean out the fur-clogged drain. He proceeded to wipe out the left over gel in the tiles, put the used towel in the hamper and put the tiny toothbrush on the side. He retrieved his own toothbrush, brushed his teeth and combed his hair. When he was satisfied, he walked back toward his room to put some clothes on.

Trowa ran back to the room and hopped on the bed for another view. First the towel came off revealing the white behind and then the view was obscured by brown slacks and a white shirt.

When Quatre was done, he eyed the squirrel seated on the bed.

"You know, you're pretty smart for a squirrel" the blonde said. "No wonder Duo thinks you have a grudge against him. You almost pulled out the hair off his scalp yesterday."

Quatre picked the squirrel up and held him up at eye level.

"I still don't understand what Heero has against you though," he added and then poked the creature's nose.

Trowa rubbed his nose, a little irritated.

"Anyway, I just came in here since it was lunch time. That and I had to take a quick shower. I just wanted to know what you wanted to have. The ladies over at the cafeteria still don't want you roaming around. I guess they think you'll jump into the food. So, what'll it be?"

Trowa looked at the blonde boy and yelled 'nuts' although all that Quatre heard was indescribable noise coming out of a half-wet squirrel. He took a wild guess anyway.

"So you want some nuts, huh?"

Mother Nature almost chocked on her own air but tried to concentrate on what was going on.

"What kind of nuts?"

To that question Trowa yelled an answer, his mouth eliciting foreign noises to the human.

"Peanuts! I'm tired of acorns already. Your friend Wufei keeps on stuffing me with those. And besides, I think Heero poisoned the last stash I had. That made me sick, remember?"

"Peanuts it is," Quatre said and Mother Nature wished she could faint because she would have. "I know. Wufei keeps on feeding you those acorns and they're starting to make you sick. You must be tired of them by now."

Trowa nodded in enthusiasm, his next meal ready according to his liking. Thinking that it was one of his luckier days, Trowa added another request.

"Kiss me," he said while puckering up and waggling around the blonde boys hands in anticipation.

To Mother Nature's surprise, Quatre smiled and then kissed him on the top of his head. Trowa was overjoyed and Mother Nature knew then that she was defeated by a foot long woodland creature.

"The world has gone upside down," she said and then looked on in disbelief.

"Quatre, we do not kiss rodents!"

All present turned their attention toward the open door to find Wufei with a scowl on his face, rather disgusted with the scene he witnessed.

"I thought you just came in here for a quick shower. I don't care if that thing is your new best friend. You don't just kiss those kinds of animals. They're filthy. Who knows how much bacteria you could get out of them? Put that thing down so we could get some lunch. What were you thinking? Have you gone insane? Quatre, it's time you stop hanging around Duo. He's corrupted your mind worse than I though."

"Okay, okay," Quatre said, putting down Trowa on the bed and patting his head while he was being dragged out of his room. "He just looked too cute. That's all. Ouch! You're pulling my arm off."

"What's taking you two?"

Another impatient figure appeared from the open door, his messy hair also wet from a recent shower.

"Quatre's been kissing rodents," Wufei answered simply while still pulling Quatre, his stomach grumbling along with him.

"What?"

Heero quickly crossed the small room, his hands landing on the tiny creature who was starting to sweat profusely.

"The squirrel coaxed you into this, didn't he?" Heero asked Quatre while trying to squeeze the air out of the squirrel's neck. "You tiny delinquent. You're up to something, aren't you?" Heero continued to ask while shaking his small form.

"Ack!"

Trowa was starting to feel a bit lightheaded and on the verge of passing out. Quatre was about to protest when Wufei cut in.

"Yuy, put that rodent down now! You can play with this little conspiracy theory of yours later. Right now I need food."

Heero reluctantly put the tiny, heaving squirrel down.

"I'll be back," he whispered before heading out the door.

"Honestly," Wufei said, exasperated. "I don't know who's worse - him or Duo."

He left the room as well, forgetting to take Quatre with him. Taking the opportunity, Quatre picked up the terrified Trowa and gave him another quick peck on the top of his head.

"Don't worry," he said. "I'll be back for your lunch and I'll keep Heero busy with something else so he'll forget about this."

He then exited leaving a dazed Trowa and a bewildered Mother Nature.

"Unbelievable," was all Mother Nature said. "It's like nothing I've ever seen before."

"I know," Trowa whispered, back in his cheerful mood. "What's even better is that you're going to do me a favor."

An afternoon of arguments and a belly full of peanuts later, Trowa tried to control his laughter as he looked at the new, visible and improved Mother Nature. Aside from having a definite form, she was now wearing a puffy blue dress with lacy ruffles in the bottom. There was a ribbon tying the dress to her back and another that held her hair up. She was holding a golden staff and she was glittering.

"I knew these human television boxes have corrupted your mind," she said as she looked at her new fairy outfit. I don't need to dress like a fairy godmother. I'm already 'the' premier godmother of them all."

"You lack a little appeal," Trowa said. "and besides, how are you going to grant wishes if you can't even be seen?"

He chuckled a bit and then looked at her, pleading. Of course, Mother Nature never could resist him. It had been the same the first time she had granted him a wish. He always seemed to hit her soft spot. She knew the consequences of giving in but thought it unimportant at the moment. Sometimes rationality always got in her way. She sighed.

"Okay Trowa. What do you want me to do?"

"Appear in a puff of smoke and grant Quatre a wish."

"It isn't that simple."

"What?"

The now tiny Mother Nature crossed her arms after adjusting her puffy dress.

"I said it isn't that simple. What if he doesn't wish for what you hope he does?"

"I never said..."

"But I know what you're planning on, Trowa."

"I know he will," Trowa said, looking stubborn and headstrong.

"And why is that?"

"I just know."

"You think he loves you enough to wish you to be human, don't you?"

Trowa flopped down on the soft mattress and looked at the ceiling. For a year he'd been dealing with Quatre's talks of the mysterious boy he once met in the circus. At first Trowa was surprised and delighted that Quatre had indeed enjoyed his short time with Trowa's former self. But as time went by, Trowa realized that he was becoming less of that same person. The Trowa now and the Trowa then was starting to become a mere dream, fading off into existence. Trowa wanted his precious blonde boy to finally choose. He only hoped that Quatre would make the right choice.

"Quatre loves Trowa and that's that," he said, getting frustrated from the intense discussion.

"No. Quatre loves Nanashi."

"Nanashi is Trowa."

"Nanashi will only be Trowa if Quatre chooses it to be that way."

Trowa fell silent. Things were complicated and were becoming even more complicated as the days passed by. He had to know now.

"I just don't want you hurt."

Trowa looked at the chubby fairy and gave his final stance.

"I have to know. I'm tired of listening to his daydreams about some mysterious boy that he doesn't know is actually next to him."

"Ok then," Mother Nature said. "I'll be asking him tonight when he's half asleep or else he'll think that he's gone insane."

"That's good enough for me," Trowa answered, tired.

"Whatever you want," Mother Nature replied and watched the exhausted squirrel drift off into a quiet slumber.

She watched as he sank deep into the folds of the thick comforter that was placed over the mattress. Her guilt added on as the days went by. She should've never given him the false hope in the first place. She was counting on the blonde boy to choose Trowa over Nanashi despite the strange circumstances of the events they were in. All Quatre had to do was realize the truth.


	10. Ten

**The Boy and The Squirrel [Part Ten]**

Mother Nature gave her puffy blue dress another tug as she watched the sleeping blonde right next to the squirrel. She was getting a tad bit annoyed at the rough material that graced the lacy dress and wanted to get it off as soon as possible.

Checking the clock, she decided that the time was just right to make her move. She came closer to the sleeping boy, intending to wake him up. She used the end of her golden staff to tap the boy's nose. Quatre responded in irritation and whacked the annoying insect off his nose.

"Oof!"

Mother Nature was thrown halfway across the room.

"Why that hairless ape," she muttered. "I ought to poke his nose until that thing turns purple."

She fluttered her wings and collided instead with a hand. By this time she was really annoyed. She didn't know that the boy could be so active in his sleep. It was like he was running around too much in his dream.

Deciding that she was starting to like her quickly ruining look, she straightened out the ruffles on her blue dress, put her hair back into place and picked up her broken wand. With one last huff of determination, she flew across the room to the sleeping squirrel, making sure to avoid the dangerously flailing arms and legs. When she reached the other side, she poked the sharpened end of her wand on Trowa's behind.

The squirrel's first response was to yelp and then look at the equally annoyed Mother Nature in her half-ruined state.

"What happened?" he asked as he combed his hair back to its original style.

"Apparently, your sweet little love over there tends to get violent in the wee hours of the night. It's bad enough that I'm compromising myself by dressing up like this. Get that thing off me before he flattens me with those gigantic hands."

Trowa looked at her and then at Quatre. Just like she said, he was flailing around almost wildly about the sheets. It was a miracle that he didn't flatten his bedmate in the process. Trowa sighed and then crawled up to him, making sure not to wake him up. He whispered something into his ear and the blonde eventually calmed down.

"What'd you say?" Mother Nature asked, now more curious than angry.

"It's a secret," Trowa answered and then climbed back down.

He pulled Mother Nature by the bottom of her dress and straightened out the ruffled lace that was sticking out to the side. After that, he took her wand and jumped down the bed to find a replacement. When he found a shiny enough rod, he climbed back up and handed it to her. He continued adjusting her clothes until he thought it was perfect. When he knew she was ready, he pushed her forward.

"I'm not going near that thing. The last time I tried to wake him, he tried to swat me like a fly."

Trowa didn't say anything but instead climbed back up on Quatre's face and tickled his nose with his furry tail.

The boy stirred but refused to get up. Trowa did it again. This time, Quatre sneezed and then opened his eyes to find a small, chubby fairy looking at him with eyes wide. His eyes went wide as well.

"Trowa, help me out," Mother Nature whispered and all Trowa did was sit beside the shocked blonde.

As far as he was concerned, he was only a spectator looking in on the performance. Mother Nature cleared her throat once and then adjusted her dress one more time before delivering her practiced speech.

"Child," she said, almost like the way the fairies did on television. "I have come today to grant you a wish."

"At 3:30 in the morning?" Quatre questioned and Mother Nature looked a tad bit annoyed.

"Child," she said again. "Just go with the flow. This is merely part of your dream and I'm here to grant you your wish."

"Are you real?" he asked, looking skeptical.

"I'm as real as they come," she answered and then winked at Trowa.

The squirrel was getting nervous. It looked like Mother Nature didn't get enough practice. The Cinderella videos did nothing to enhance her attitude and behavior. He hoped that the boy wouldn't notice anything strange. Quatre yawned and then looked again at the awaiting fairy.

"I don't know. It feels kind of weird. I mean, I'm not eight years old anymore so I'm just probably imagining you," he said and then poked her on the chest.

Mother Nature got even more irritated but tried to stay clam. Trowa watched on, hoping that his scheme would work. The boy was becoming very uncooperative.

"Look boy, I may be a figment of your imagination. Heck, I may be the tooth fairy, a demented dream, who knows? I'm here to grant you a wish. Now cough it up boy. Who knows? You just might wake up the next morning and find whatever it is you're looking for."

Trowa went pale and hoped that Mother Nature wouldn't get more irate than she already was. He hoped too that Quatre wasn't startled too much by her change in behavior.

"Umm..."

"Hurry up kid. We haven't got all day."

The lace that was crawling up her leg was apparently to blame for her sudden change in mood. The rough material was making her itch.

"There's something I've really wanted for some time now. I guess it wouldn't hurt to try even if you're just a dream sequence," he said and then chuckled.

"Uh huh. Go ahead cutie. Cough it up."

Quatre looked at her, smiled and then opened his mouth to reveal his silly wish. Trowa watched on in anticipation, waiting for his dream to come true. It was something he had been waiting to hear for so long.

"I'd like Nanashi to be by my side when I get up in the morning."

Trowa's face fell and Mother Nature almost faltered in her act. She knew Trowa was really hoping for the 'turn the squirrel into human' approach.

"Ah... Yes, child. I will grant you that wish. When you get up in the morning, you will be rewarded with the most beautiful creature by your side."

Quatre smiled wider and Trowa didn't look too happy.

"Sleep now my child. You wouldn't want to miss out on your wonderful surprise, would you?"

Quatre nodded and then almost like he was hypnotized, fell asleep when Mother Nature snapped her fingers. His head dropped to the pillows beneath him and he instantly fell into a deep slumber. Mother Nature chose that time to switch back into her original form and rid herself of the rough material that had been bothering her for half the night.

The rest of the night, Trowa remained silent and Mother Nature didn't know what to do. She just hoped that she could do something before Trowa lost all hope. After all, she was the one to indulge him. It was time she did something to patch up the problem.

When the morning came, Trowa scratched his ear which was suspiciously on the side of his head instead of above it. He reached behind him for the acorn he had hidden on the bed and almost chocked on the nut that was now 100 times smaller in his mouth than it was before.

He bolted up from his semi-conscious state and looked at his hands. He had five fingers again and he looked under the blanket to find that he had legs. He was so delighted at this new discovery that he didn't seem to mind his undressed state.

His lips twitched upward the smallest bit but he was grinning inwardly. He knew Mother Nature had a soft spot. It was just a matter of convincing her that he deserved to be human. All he had to do now was clean up, present himself to Quatre and live happily ever after. That was, until the door to Quatre's room opened with a slam.

By the door stood Duo, Heero and Wufei already dressed for the start of their classes. They were there to pick Quatre up for breakfast like they did everyday. He knew he was in trouble.

"Whoa! Will you look at that!" Duo said and then whistled. "It looks like Quatre got his wish granted last night."

Trowa blinked and then stared. Of course at that point, he couldn't explain himself to the surprised group of people by the door. He willed himself to weasel out an excuse but it was no use. The words wouldn't come out.

"Non-students are not allowed to stay at the school dorms," Heero said with an undertone of threat.

"Hey! It's about time the circus guy came back. Quatre's going to go nuts."

"You imbeciles!" Wufei suddenly said. He was quiet up to that point because it seemed like he was the only one who knew what was going on. "If you used your heads first, you would have noticed that our friend isn't in his own room and that there's a new rodent on his bed."

Trowa blinked again.

"That's strange," he thought. "If I'm human now then who's the squirrel on the bed?"

He took out the covers and found an adorable creature occupying Quatre's pillow. On the squirrel's head was a hint of blondish hair.

"There must be a mistake," Trowa thought again to himself.

By that time, the other three were staring unbelievingly at his unclothed body exposed, now without the covers, to the morning sun. That was the last he remembered before Heero took to strangling his neck.

The first thing Trowa heard when he woke up was the sound of Duo's voice in conversation with someone.

"Why not? Quatre got to keep his own little squirrel with the weird hair. Why can't I keep this cute one?"

"Because, like I told Quatre several times before, rodents must be kept away unless you want to be infected."

"No way! Just how many of these squirrels have you seen with a hint of yellow on their head? I don't care if he's a mutation. I'm keeping him."

"It looks like he prefers Nanashi over you."

Trowa opened his eyes. He hadn't been addressed in the name for so long. When he did, he found a curious looking squirrel with the largest set of blue-green eyes fixated on him.

"Quatre?" he asked.

The other two people in the room immediately stopped their conversation and looked at him.

"Where is he?" Wufei started.

Duo helped him sit up and handed him a glass of water. He was grateful because his throat felt dry from a previous oxygen deprivating experience.

"You know, " Duo said. "Heero could have killed you with that iron grip. Next time, if you want to appear out of nowhere, put some clothes on and keep off the host's bed."

"If I were you, I'd speak up now," Wufei interrupted. "If you don't want Heero to castrate you before sundown."

Trowa pointed to the squirrel.

"No way Nanashi! I'm keeping this one," Duo said before grabbing his newest pet to himself.

Trowa would have smacked himself on his forehead if he weren't intent on solving his problem. Wufei looked calm and rational but he also looked like he was going to turn him over to Heero if he didn't speak up soon. Heero was out of the question. He seemed to know more about Trowa's non-existence more than anyone else. His only choice was Duo who looked like he wasn't going to let go of the terrified creature any time soon. Mother Nature was going to get a long lecture from him that day. That was for sure.

"Look Nanashi, tell us now where Quatre is and we'll protect you from Heero for the time being," Wufei said, trying to reason out with their newest guest who didn't seem like he understood anything with his lack of reaction.

Trowa pointed to the squirrel again.

"Damn it Duo! This isn't helping. Hand the man that rodent so he could tell us where Quatre is."

Trowa sighed. It was going to be very hard. Duo reluctantly handed Trowa the squirrel. The creature blinked his big eyes when he came face to face with Trowa.

"Quatre?" Trowa asked again.

"Forget it. The man's insane," Wufei said.

"Hold on. I think he has something," Duo reasoned out.

While the two continued their argument, the squirrel looked at Trowa and nodded a yes.

"I knew it," Trowa thought to himself. "It would be the only plausible reason."

The squirrel tugged on his hair to get attention. It may have been very strange but Trowa thought it was rather cute. In fact, it was too cute it didn't seem right. The blonde haired squirrel theme was just too bizarre for him. Such variations did not exist in nature as far as he knew. It was amazing that it's appearance hadn't yet caused a scandal.

Trowa was on a world of his own as were the two friends who continued to bicker at the corner of the room. Quatre was getting bored. The creature who fit exactly on the palms of Trowa's hands tried in vain to tug his hair harder in order to get the attention of the dazed human. He was frustrated so he decided to move around in a frenzy. All the while, Trowa was finding the display quite amusing.

"Having fun Trowa?" a voice said out of nowhere.

Quatre cowered at the sound and latched himself on to the backside of Trowa's long bang. Trowa decided that it was time he got a little talk with Mother Nature. Slipping out unnoticed, both man and squirrel headed for any opening, preferably somewhere away from people. Quatre clung to his shirt while on his shoulder so as not to fall off.

While they were alone, the winds picked up a little and it was then that Trowa decided that he was going to start his long conversation with Mother Nature. As he was starting, he opened his mouth and was surprised to find that nothing was coming out.

"Forgot about the talking problem Trowa?" Mother Nature spoke up.

Trowa fumed inwardly but could not argue. His companion, on the other hand, found that the inside of Trowa's shirt was both warm and comforting. Trowa looked like he had a shivering tumor in his stomach.

"Don't be scared cutie pie," Mother Nature said to the cowering creature.

He retrieved Quatre from inside the ruining shirt and looked up to scold Mother Nature as if saying 'He doesn't know who you are. Of course he's scared!'

"Oh, silly me," Mother Nature said. "Look over here, honey," she said. "I'm Mother Nature. Everyone knows who I am."

Quatre looked skeptical and tried in vain to go back inside Trowa's shirt.

"Fine then," Mother Nature said and sighed. "I'll do it just this once."

There was a whirlwind of leaves before she appeared before the two of them dressed in the same blue dress she wore the night before. Trowa had to turn away to hide his amusement but Quatre finally understood. He jumped down from Trowa's hand and had a little talk with his fairy godmother.

All Trowa heard was squirrel talk, which at that time was useless to Trowa's now untrained ear. He waited and watched for passes by, making sure that no one witnessed the eccentric display. A few minutes later, he saw Quatre nod and Mother Nature dissolve back into thin air. Before he could vocalize his thoughts, he was faced with a love-sick squirrel attached to his neck.


	11. Conclusion

**The Boy and The Squirrel [Part Eleven]**

Trowa was not pleased. It had been too long since Mother Nature had ceased contact with him. While Quatre didn't seem bothered by the turn of events, he found himself cursing his fate for having to deal with Quatre's supposed disappearance.

The authorities had searched weeks and questioned him daily only to come out empty-handed. His jaw was sore from talking more than necessary and his legs were aching from having to escape Heero's treacherous tendencies. Not even the two friends could have stopped his rampage. Somehow Trowa felt that Heero was more disappointed at the loss of a brother than a loss of a friend. He would have sympathized with him if not for the times that the butt of a gun was pointed at him.

Trowa was safe for the moment, relieved that Heero's admirers were keeping him busy. He didn't seem to want the attention but he didn't look like he was bothered by it either. He knew that he would have to thank the blond girl later. She was really a big help even if she didn't know it.

At the moment he was occupied with playing slave to his little love. Quatre was sprawled languidly on the sink while Trowa massaged his fury body into a thick lather. The shampoo he used was starting to smell good. It seemed Quatre was enjoying more of the change in form than he ever did. He didn't even remember relaxing that much when he was a foot-tall and incapable. Quatre, however, had his dependence on one human called Trowa who would certainly do anything and everything for him.

Trowa retrieved a bath towel and placed the soaking wet creature on top of it before rubbing him dry. Quatre made a sound of protest but Trowa didn't hear it. He was too busy cleaning up the squirrel. It was the only way Wufei would let it near him. He needed the other for a little talk and wanted to make sure that he wasn't kicked out with his filthy rodent before he even started. 

Picking up the newly bathed Quatre, he went directly for Wufei's room, knocking before being led in.

"What is it Nana...?"

"Trowa."

The only consolation to all his trouble was the relief he felt when he realized that he could at least say his name right.

"Trowa then. Maybe you could start explaining to me our dilemma a little more clearly. You seem more willing to talk now."

"Quatre is doing fine."

"How would you know that?"

"Trust me."

At least with Wufei, he didn't need to explain any further. Anyone else would have questioned him to no end. Telling Wufei at least that much alleviated his guilty conscience. After all, Quatre's friends had the right to know how he was doing. It was up to them to extend the words of comfort to his parents.

"Fine. I'll take your word for it."

As if on cue, Quatre jumped and landed on Wufei's shoulder almost looking like he was giving the other a sloppy kiss of gratitude.

"You better have cleaned this rodent," Wufei snarled.

Quatre nodded his tiny head in a 'yes' but it was only Trowa who noticed it.

"I have things to do. Get that rodent out of here and try teaching it how to at least move on its own. A weak squirrel is as good as a dead squirrel. He may rely on you but he still has to learn how to fend for himself."

Trowa picked up the creature and left with nothing more to say. He found it more and more difficult to talk about the species issue. Not only was he close to being mute, Mother Nature hadn't even explained her intentions at all. He might as well have been blind as well.

Quatre tugged on his bangs before he realized that he was still holding on to the knob of Wufei's door. He really needed to concentrate more.

"What is it?" he asked Quatre with his normal tone.

Quatre put his paw on his stomach, indicating that he was hungry. If it weren't for Trowa, the squirrel wouldn't even survive a day in the wild.

He retrieved a few nuts from his pocket and bit them just enough to open them up before offering them to the hungry squirrel. Quatre accepted them and plopped down on Trowa's palm to begin his meal.

"After that, I'm going to have to teach you how to move properly."

Another difficulty with dealing with Quatre was that the transition had rendered him almost handicap. His instincts stubbornly forced him to stand when the proportions of his body dictated that he walk on all fours. A 'drunken squirrel' as Duo had dubbed it, was very likely to raise suspicion.

Quatre was tugging on his bangs yet again. He was really beginning to wander off more often. It must have been the nights he spent wide awake, unable to sleep because of worry of the impending doom he would have to face for the rest of his human life.

Quatre's huge eyes were on him as if asking him if he was all right. He pat the yellow covered head in response before carrying him back to their room. It was funny how none of Quatre's friends noticed any resemblances. The mop of yellow on top of the squirrel's head was more than a very clear indicator.

==

"How long do I have to stay in this position," Duo whined more than asked as he tugged his braid loose off the offending attachment.

"Let it sleep," Wufei commanded without taking his eyes off the book he was currently reading.

"If this is supposed to be called 'study time' in the 'study area' then why am I not getting any studying done?"

"You chose to play with it. Deal with it."

Heero gave him a hard stare following his earlier comment and quickly went back to scanning his notes. Duo sighed and looked at Trowa for much needed sympathy. If his two other friends felt grumpy that day then he thought that he might as well have his try at Trowa. He may have been silent but at least he was a little more pleasant to talk to.

"He likes you," Trowa simply said.

It was true enough and the simple statement made Duo calm down. Trowa had a certain way of dealing with things and it always seemed to work with him. At least he could start getting some studying done.

Before opening his book, he stared thoughtfully at the people seated around the table. It seemed that Trowa was starting to blend into their crowd. The only missing puzzle was Quatre and he hoped that his friend was fine wherever he was.

==

"Fourteen days," Trowa muttered as he brushed the fur on Quatre's head. "Why can't she at least tell me what she's planning?"

Quatre gave him a look that told him that he would know soon enough. It was just a matter of time.

"It's a little too bizarre for me not to wonder," Trowa continued despite not getting a verbal answer from anyone.

Quatre merely shrugged but he looked like he didn't mind the small talk. That was before he jumped and scampered as far away from the window as possible.

"What is it?" Trowa asked in fear that something had gone wrong. If the usually care-free squirrel was scared that much then something may have been going wrong. He only thought the worst. After all, there was no telling if Quatre's body was stable enough yet.

He turned his head to the source of Quatre's distress and found one female squirrel looking about ready to jump Quatre. She had the look on her eyes that said that she wanted at least twelve children with the cute blond one. Trowa had to groan. Things were getting even stranger than he expected. There was no way he was going to believe what he was seeing.

To finally get it over with, he opened the window and picked up the wayward female.

"He's mine you little tramp," he said before dropping it and closing the window.

"A little possessive, are we?"

Trowa turned his head to find Heero staring at him from his position at the entrance of his room.

"He better show up soon, Trowa. Wufei told me you know where he is. Make sure he comes back safely or I'll blow your head off."

Strangely enough, Trowa was getting used to the constant threats. He was no longer fazed by Heero's methods. He simply felt tired. He had to make sure that Quatre was back to normal soon or else the situation would be more chaotic than it already was. He wasn't about to spend the rest of his life with the man of his dreams literally eating off his hand. They just wouldn't match very well.

==

"I'm waiting," Trowa said for the umpteenth time that day. He woke up in the morning and suddenly felt the urge to speak with Mother Nature. He'd been outside all morning and yet there weren't any signs that she'd speak to him soon.

Quatre was finally able to control his movements so he was off to the side somewhere. He did still move in a somewhat drunken state but at least he was more coordinated.

"He can't stay like this forever," Trowa said, continuing his thoughts. It was the chant he repeated all morning and it didn't seem to be working.

"And you can?"

Trowa turned around, almost landing on his behind to find Heero giving him one intense stare. He was rousing suspicion and he knew it. It was time to cover up yet again.

"Do you need anything, Heero?" he asked casually.

"I should be asking you that question."

Trowa was too tired to get out of it. Perhaps he needed a change in tactics. He needed to change the subject into something a little less close to the truth.

"There was..."

"I can feel him, you know," Heero said, effectively cutting him off. This left Trowa quite confused. "I can feel him in that little body," he elaborated.

Heero was staring at Quatre, watching the furry animal roll around, playing with an apple. Trowa stared agape. He'd picked up so many words in the past few weeks but he didn't seem to be able to use any of it at the moment. Heero couldn't possibly have deduced their situation that quickly. It was impossible. Then again, their situation was just as impossible.

"I'm not dumb," Heero continued almost to himself. "There's a certain way he sleeps through study sessions clutching Duo's braid and not to mention those eyes, they're his."

There was no longer a need for charades. It was pretty obvious that Heero knew what was going on. He was sure that Mother Nature was going to kill him for letting out their little secret. It was bad enough that she was turning butterflies into whales but the humans were a little more dangerous than that.

"Feel him?"

Trowa wanted to know more about what Heero had said if only to stall him from asking more specific questions about their current situation.

"I don't know why. I just did ever since we were children. The only difference is that he feels me more intensely than I do him."

"And the others?"

"It does not concern them."

"And this concerns me?"

Heero gave him the look that told him that he should have been a little more perceptive.

"I can give you a name, a history if you will. The name Trowa cannot stand on its own. If you plan to keep up with this form then you might as well find a way to secure your identity."

"Why would you do this for me?"

"I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this for him."

"How are you so sure that this would please him?"

Heero let out a mocked laugh as if to emphasize Trowa's naïveté toward the situation.

"He spent a lot of time searching for the circus clown. Your predicament no longer matters, Trowa. Squirrel or human, you are still the same. I don't even believe it myself but something tells me that my help would turn out for the best for everyone involved."

Trowa contemplated on the answer just as Heero left. It was looking like things were beginning to work out for the better. If only he could fix his other problem then things were certainly going to get better.

"Oh, and Trowa," Heero said, reappearing from where he left. "I'm still going to kill you."

At least he had that to look forward to.

==

"Sweetie pie!" Mother Nature screamed all the way across the earth. The trees gave way to the sudden whoosh of air in their surrounding.

Upon hearing this, Trowa immediately bolted for the door and stepped outside to the cool morning air. Of course, he didn't forget to bring Quatre with him even if the other was still fast asleep on his palm. His pajamas were too cold for the wind but he didn't mind. At least he was finally going to have that talk with Mother Nature. What was even better was that he knew more words, providing him with the tools to communicate more effectively. It took a more than a month but his mouth and vocal chords were finally cooperating with him.

"I'm here! I'm here!"

"Humph, I wasn't talking to you," Mother Nature said indignantly. "I was talking to the cutie pie on your hands."

"I see. I'm not cute anymore," Trowa muttered but then remembered that there were more pressing matters that he had to deal with.

Before he could even open his mouth, Mother Nature started talking.

"I had it all worked out and it looks like everything happened as perfectly as I planned it."

"How come I wasn't informed about this plan?"

"My, my Trowa, just because you can talk now doesn't mean that you have to be rude when you do use your mouth."

"Sorry."

"That's better sweetie. Now, where was I?"

"The plan."

Trowa shifted uncomfortably as he waited for the explanation.

"You'll be glad to hear that I finally balanced things out. By turning Quatre into a squirrel the same amount of time I turned you into a human for the first time, I was able to cancel out the need for an exchange."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Trowa asked in a pained voice.

"Now, now. Don't give me that look Trowa. I did it for your own good. If I left you the way you were then you would have stayed mute for the rest of your human life and besides, Nanashi was such a horrible name. You needed a little practice to get your act going."

"What about Quatre, how would this affect him?"

"He's learned the life of a squirrel. Sure, you spoiled him to no end but he still lived as one. At least now he'll be able to understand your earlier predicament."

Trowa nodded in understanding. Everything was starting to make sense. He just felt a little frustrated that he didn't know what was going on until now. Leave it to Mother Nature to get things done right.

"And it looks to me like you've gained some friends."

Trowa nodded again and Mother Nature gave out one of her hearty laughs. The strong winds were the only indication of that laughter to the untrained ear.

"You've grown up so much since you came to me up on the mountains that day. I couldn't resist how adorable and charming you were, especially with that weird looking hair."

Trowa looked up at his hair. He still didn't know why everyone thought it strange.

"I still can't resist you so I'm giving you what you want. I know I'm not making a mistake now. I think the balance lies where you put it. You could go one way or the other and still find something in between. I trust you Trowa and I trust that you will take care of each other."

Trowa looked at the still sleeping creature on his hand. He was glad that he was finally going to get what he wanted.

"How...?"

"Tomorrow morning he'll be back to normal."

"Thank you."

"Anytime. Now, could I have your love machine for a day? I think we need some of his genes to mix up with the squirrel population. I mean, I've received a ton of propositions from the female population who would just love to have kids that gorgeous."

"No!"

"Aww, don't say no Trowa. After you left, all the good genes left with you. Maybe at least one of you should reproduce and make some lovely looking children. What do you say to that?"

"What?"

"Just kidding. Just kidding. Geez, you've only been human for a month and you're already uptight. Now go on along back to your room before the gun on that boy goes off.

"Gun?"

Trowa turned around to find Heero hot on his trail again.

"When is this going to end?" he groaned, running out of harm's way.

"I have to keep the balance, sweetie," Mother Nature called out. "Just consider this as a repayment. After all, there always has to be a prey and a predator."

She grinned in amusement and watched on as her creatures flitted about their little lives. All was good. Now all she needed was a little vacation. Maybe she could do a little flirting with Father Time and have him stop time a bit so she could have that vacation. Yes, all in all, things were going perfectly well for Mother Nature. Not much could be said about her creatures though.

End


End file.
